Ache
by herestolife222
Summary: Catherine moves to Portland to escape an ugly past in Texas. She meets a boy, Emmett, who is beginning to change the course of her life. But is it for the better or worse? Disclaimer: Meyer's characters, my world. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_I am nobody. I am nobody and I have nothing, nothing to lose. I've already lost it all. So I left all the reminders of pain in Texas and moved to Portland. I know it's running away, but at this point, it's all I can do. Running is the only thing that will keep me alive. If I surround myself in the grief, I won't be able to make it._

CatPOV

I felt something cold and wet on my face. It was such a rude awakening. What was more irritating is that it happened 15 minutes before my alarm went off.

"Dammit Chance! I had 15 more minutes, you couldn't wait until then?" I asked the dog with sleep dripped in my voice. He had placed his face directly in front of mine and was wagging his tail impatiently. I would have been able to ignore him, but there is no stamina in the world that can ignore that horrendous dog breath. He nudged me one more time, and I knew I would have to get up at this very moment.

"Fine," I grumbled as I rolled out of bed. Chance wagged his tail furiously and ran to the front door to wait on me. I rolled out of bed and attempted to smooth down my hair. The frigidness of the atmosphere took me off guard and a violent shiver ran down my spine. I shuffled to my closet and pulled out a thick jacket. I pulled on some slippers and ran to the door to take out the dog.

I still couldn't wrap my mind around how cold it was in Portland. Sure, it got cold in Texas, but I never feared for my health and safety when I went outside. This was downright hazardous! Chance seemed to enjoy it though. His yellow hair was short, as it was on all Labs, but he was still very uncomfortable in the Texas heat. Christy did as much as she could for him to try to keep him content, but there wasn't a whole lot that she could do other than let him play with ice cubes and keep his water bowl filled.

_Christy_. The name made my heart stop. I tried not to think about her much, ever since the fire. It was especially hard because I had Chance around and he was hers. He even acted like her; he was a complete spaz but sweet to the core. It's true what they say about dogs and their owners.

"Hurry it up, Chance! It's freezing!" I yelled. He looked at me, and then continued to sniff the ground in defiance. I knew he was finished, he just wanted to play outside a little bit longer. But, I had a few tricks up my sleeve.

"Are you hungry? You hungry, Chance?!" That caught his attention. He immediately ran towards me, and we raced up the stairs into my apartment.

I tried to keep my nerves low as I got ready for my first day at school. I had never been out of Texas, and to be starting the English Literature program in a state with a completely different curriculum was scary for me. I finished all my basics in Texas, and was ready to start on all the tough stuff. The university in Portland had a wonderful program, and I was very excited. Still, I couldn't shake the nerves. Chance could sense my unease and was by my side every second of the morning. Or maybe it was because he had become especially clingy to me after what happened in Texas. I couldn't tell.

My hair was frustrating me. I had hoped that getting out of the humid weather would help my brown, frizzy curls. My hope was lost after arriving here. It was still defiant, and I had to settle with throwing it into a messy bun. Stray curls fell around my face, but I wasn't going to bother with them today. I couldn't justify putting on any makeup. Makeup would only draw an attention that I didn't want. I was just going to do the bare minimum in terms of my looks. I couldn't risk it.

After I had finished my morning routine, I glanced at the clock. I had plenty of time to get to school, so I decided to take a minute and calm down. I sat on the couch and turned on the news. Immediately, flashes of a house fire in the area flashed across the screen. I quickly turned it off, and held back a sob. The images took me off guard. I turned to Chance who definitely sensed my sadness. He rested his head lightly on my lap and whimpered. I lightly touched his ear, well, what was left of it. I ran my hands down the length of his body, patches of fur missing here and there, replaced by scar tissue. I was so lucky to have him. I hoped he felt the same.

"Okay, Chance, I have to go now," I said with as much forced cheer as possible. Christy always spoke to him happily, and I tried to keep up that routine. He immediately lay down in front of the door and sulked. I tried hard to maneuver around him to make my way out, but he was making it difficult. "Chance," I said with very little authority in my voice. He didn't budge.

I sighed with resignation. Carefully, I scooted his body far enough away from the door so that I could slip by. "Be good. I'll be home in a few hours, and then I'll take you on a nice long walk. We'll get to know the city!"

As I ran out the door, I peeked behind me. He was still sulking in the same spot, and he would be there until I got home.

EmPOV

"Are you _sure _you don't want to give it a shot, Rose?" I had to make sure one last time. We had never done separate things in a new city. If she went to school, so did I. If she didn't, then I didn't. But this year was different. She wanted to work, which completely took me off guard, as well as the rest of the family. Rose never wanted to work.

"Yes, I'm sure, Emmett. I want to try something different. I'm allowed to do that, aren't I?" I didn't miss the sarcasm and irritation in her voice. I decided not to push it.

"Okay, Rose. I'll see you when I get home from school." I lifted up my bag and headed towards the door. I heard Rose clear her throat and draw in a sharp breath. When I turned, I swear I saw fire in her eyes.

"Forgetting something?"

I smiled. She knew I never forgot, but I still wanted to test her. I ran up to her and kissed her fiercely. Our hands ran over each other, and I was happy to see that our excitement for one another hadn't changed.

"Have a good day," I said with lust in my voice.

"You, too," she said softly. She always knew what drove me wild. I love this girl!

I ran down the stairs. My sisters, Alice and Bella were waiting for me. I could see Jasper hovering near the door and deduced that Edward was already in the car. I couldn't read minds like Edward, but I knew exactly what Jasper was thinking.

"Shotgun!" I yelled with my booming voice. Jasper took off towards the car. The house shuddered as I booked it towards the door. I knew Jasper was ahead of me, but he couldn't outrun this. I jumped, not as graceful as the others, but still incredibly effective. Jasper could sense my exhilaration and turned, but his reaction was a tenth of a second too late. I landed hard on his body. He growled as we rolled on the lawn. We landed a few feet from each other, but as Jasper tried to stand, I pushed him deep into the earth. I heard Alice yelling about something, but I was too excited about my win to fully listen to her. I could only guess that it was about the new outfit she bought Jasper.

I laughed as I got to my feet and continued running. My heart sank as I reached the car. Bella, taking advantage of the distraction between myself and Jasper, had raced passed us and made herself comfortable in the front seat.

"No fair! I called Shotgun!"

By this time, Alice and Jasper joined me at the car. Jasper was snickering as he changed his shirt. I guess Alice foresaw that Jasper would need it, so she brought him an extra. She silently scowled at me for the ruined shirt. I paid her no attention. My full and undivided attention was now towards the sneak who stole the front seat.

Bella turned towards me with amusement in her eyes. "I beat you Emmett, fair and square."

I knew she did, but I couldn't let it go. But before I could argue, I saw Alice getting into the car behind Bella. I knew what was happening, but it was too late. Jasper swiftly jumped in behind her.

"Aw, dammit! Now I have to sit behind Edward!" The car shook with laughter as I tried to squeeze in the backseat behind Edward. My enormous body barely had any room in the silver Volvo as is, let alone having to squeeze in behind Edward. I swear he moved in chair all the way back just to make it that much more uncomfortable for me. "You're such a traitor, Bella."

"Ah, but you still love me!"

"Yeah, yeah, favorite little sister." I glanced at Alice who was glaring at me. "What?" I demanded.

"Why am I not your favorite?" she asked with fake hurt in her voice.

"Because you are making me wear this ridiculous shirt, that's why. Any sister that loved me would know that I hate wearing polo shirts."

"Only a sister that loves you would buy you nice clothes and insist you make a good impression for the first day of the semester," she declared.

Edward flashed a glance at me in the rearview mirror. He didn't need to say it, but I knew what he was thinking. _Okay, okay_, I told him with my mind.

"Thank you for the shirt, Alice. It really is very nice."

She beamed at me. I agreed with Edward in wondering how something so annoying could fit in something so little. She nodded, accepting my half attempt at an apology.

We pulled up to the school in record timing, but it could have never been fast enough for me. I practically threw myself out of the car before Edward had even come to a complete stop. The rest of my family exited the car with grace and laughter.

"What's so funny?" I demanded.

"Oh, this thought that ran through Alice's mind," Edward said with a chuckle in his voice. "She thought that it looked like the car was giving birth to you, what with your struggle and all."

My family burst into an even louder laughter. I tried to look as mean as possible. Anyone else, human and vampire included, would have cowered once they saw the look on my face. It just made my family giggle even more. Even Jasper, who is so serious it sometimes makes my heart break, chuckled a little. I grabbed my bag and walked away, fuming. Oh they would pay. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but someday, they would pay.

Aw hell, it had to be today.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

CatPOV

The school was more than I expected. I expected the worst, as usual. But this place was amazing. In Texas, I had only attended community college. I couldn't justify spending all that money on simply re-learning all the things I learned in high school. I had grown so accustomed to all the apathy radiating from the other students that it soon became all I knew. It was different here. Everyone had goals, dreams, and aspirations. I felt like I was with like minds, like I was where I belonged.

_Could it really be this easy_? I thought to myself, daring not to hope. _Can I really just start over?_ Despite my best efforts, I couldn't stop from feeling the warmth and security of hope enveloping me. I lingered in the feeling for a moment as I rushed back to my car. I ran over the day rapidly in my mind. All of my professors were phenomenal. People in my class seemed warm and intelligent, though I didn't dare talk to them. I kept to myself. My dad regarded it as unhealthy, but I couldn't see the harm in protecting myself.

The drive home passed by quickly as I was lost in my thoughts. When I got to my apartment, I was practically skipping up to my door. My neighbors, who I knew regarded me as some sort of recluse, were wearing my puzzled looks on their faces. I almost waved at them, but thought better.

When I opened the door, I was greeted as though I had been gone for days rather than hours. Chance ran up to me, his favorite stuffed duck in his mouth. He sat down, his tail wagging so hard I could feel it in the ground.

"Hi Chance!" I practically screamed it at him. I suddenly had a fleeting thought of my neighbors not only seeing me as a recluse, but also crazy for talking to a dog like he was my only friend. What made it worse was how accurate their thoughts would have been. I shook the thought away. "Did you miss me?"

As if he could understand me, Chance's tail wagged even harder. He followed me around the apartment, never once dropping his favorite toy. I straightened up the space a bit, but there was no need. When I was home, I never did anything but read and play with Chance. There was no familiarity etched in my living space, it seemed cold to me. I just couldn't take the risk of getting too attached. I reached my answering machine, the red light blinking ominously at me. I pressed the Play button, and sat down quietly and listened.

It was my dad. "Hey, Catherine. Sorry I missed you. I figure you're at school. I just wanted to see how you were doing. I haven't heard from you in a while." He paused, and then continued with thick emotion in his voice. I never saw my dad cry, not even after my mom died. It hurt me deep to hear him like that. "I miss you Cat. Things aren't the same without you here. Brad misses you, too. He wanted me to tell you hi and that he loved you…" I had to stop. I pressed the erase button quickly and deftly.

I thought of Brad, my older brother. I looked up to him so much, and we were so close. The connection between us was strengthened by how much we looked alike: same sharp gray eyes, same untamable hair, same peachy skin. It killed me that I couldn't be near the only family I had left. The pain of missing them, however, couldn't hold a candle to the pain of the memories of my old life. I was never able to get away from constant reminders of Christy, the fire, and him.

_Bastard! Oh God!_ It felt like the pain was a wave, crashing down on me and threatening to pull me under. _No, I won't go there again_.

I looked at Chance, who was patiently waiting by the door. I suppose he hadn't forgotten my promise to show him the city. _Silly girl, he wouldn't remember your promise_. "Okay, Chance," I said as I pulled myself from the couch. "Let's see what's in Portland."

EmPOV

The day was uneventful, as is all first days of school. The classes, the professors, and the students hadn't really differed from the other countless times I've been to school. The good thing about college, though, is you have an opportunity to try new things. This time around I was going for an Architecture degree. I wanted to make myself useful in helping Esme, my mother who was obsessed with restoring homes, and this is the best way I knew how.

I met up with all my siblings at around 4:00. They were all standing around Edward's car, waiting for me. Bella and Edward were standing side-by-side, their hands entwined in each others, breathing in sync. Jasper and Alice were staring into each other's eyes as if all the secrets of the world lied in their partner's eyes. I turned my head from the personal moment. Being around them made my heart ache for Rosalie.

"Emmett," Bella began with a smile on her face. "You can have the front seat, Emmett. I won't make you sit behind Edward. It's just cruel."

My face broke in a huge smile as I ran up to my little sister and picked her up in one of my infamous bear hugs. She was so self-less and always thinking of others. I knew why Edward fell in love with her. These two martyrs were meant for each other.

"Thank you so much Bella!" She laughed and patted my shoulder with her tiny hand. By this point, I had decided to temporarily put off my revenge. I'll save it for another day.

We all piled in the car, and I was much more comfortable this time around. I moved my seat all the way back, thinking I could at least get a small bit of revenge on whoever was sitting behind me. No such luck. Alice pulled her legs up to her chest a millisecond before the seat hit her legs. It wouldn't have hurt her, but it irked me that she used her power to avoid it. I could see Edward smirking in my peripheral vision. I pouted for a second, and then remembered I would be able to see Rose in just a few short minutes. I became restless as it seemed like we were driving through a river of molasses.

We pulled up to our house. The house was very perfect. It met all of the Cullen requirements: large, beautiful, and secluded. I couldn't help myself; I ran up to the house and towards our bedroom. A shiver of disappointment went down my spine as I realized that Rose wasn't home yet. I went downstairs and sought out Esme.

Esme was in the master bathroom removing the old wallpaper. She had a look of disgust on her face with every strip she tore off. It was obvious that she did not share the prior occupant's love for the print on the wallpaper. She turned to me and smiled. "Want to help, Emmett?"

"Sure, Mom." We worked in silence for a minute. I didn't want to automatically ask her about Rose for fear that I may offend her. But she could read my mind like any mom.

"Rosalie called and said she'll be late tonight. They asked her right off the bat to stay late, since she's the new girl and all. You know she couldn't turn them down." She studied the displeasure in my face, and continued softly. "I know it's hard Emmett, but she really loves this job."

I turned to her with a weak smile in my face. "I know, Esme. It's just change, and you know how I am about change."

"I know, Emmett. You never take kindly to moving."

We worked in silence for a while longer. By the time I left the bathroom, we had stripped all the wallpaper and put on a fresh coat of paint. Esme and I walked downstairs towards the living room. Alice and Bella were lounged on the couch, reading their respective books for school. Edward was tinkling away on the piano, and Jasper was flipping through channels on the TV. When he heard us come in, he turned to me with a smile on his face. "Wanna play some Soul Caliber?"

I sighed and shook my head slowly. "I'll never understand why you are so eager to get your ass kicked." I turned to Alice for reaffirmation. She felt my gaze.

"No, I'm not going to say who wins." She looked back at her book and a devilish grin creeped slowly across her face. She added in a low voice, "I don't think the X-Box is going to make it through the night."

I stopped listening to her after she said she wouldn't tell us who would be the eventual winner. The revelation of the X-Box's future was no help. Everyone knew I was a sore loser, but Jasper was also more than capable of throwing a hissy fit.

We didn't have to wait long for the fit. Unfortunately it came from me.

"CHEATER!!" I screamed as Jasper won the 20th and last fight we would have. "I don't know how you're doing it, but I know you're cheating!" I threw my controller. It crashed into the X-Box. We could hear the fan inside slowly dying.

"Aw, Emmett. Now we have to go to town to get a new one!" Jasper look irritated.

"Well, it's your entire fault. Alice told us what would happen. You should've calmed me down before I lost it."

I didn't let him finish his thought. I immediately tackled him. Alice ran to the back door and we rolled and tumbled into the back yard. The wrestling continued well into twilight. We decided to have a temporary truce as no winner was declared.

"What time is it?" I asked, remembering the X-Box. If we didn't get a new one tonight, I would have nothing to do before Rose came home.

"It's 8:30," Alice called from inside. "We'll be able to make it to the store with a few minutes to spare."

"Well, what are we waiting for?"

CatPOV

I couldn't believe all the wonderful things you could do in the city of Portland. There were several clubs where you could enjoy all sorts of music. I passed by several that had blues, jazz, rock, and dance music pouring out from the doors. I had read about the city and knew there were plenty of museums and art showings. The culture of the city surprised me, I never had even thought of Portland as a plausible place to live before. There were even things for Chance. One of our first stops was at the neighborhood dog park. Chance loved the opportunity to run around and sniff other dogs. I stood and watched, smiling as he tried to approach other dogs. He appeared very intimidating with his large size and scarred body. A lot of the smaller dogs wanted nothing to do with him, but I don't think Chance ever realized the rejection. He was so happy to be out.

As I watched, I was startled by a voice.

"Which one is yours?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. I turned to see a young man chuckling at me. A shot of anger rose through my body, but it completely dissipated with a flood of embarrassment. I tried to cover up my feelings with the warmest smile I could muster. I pointed at Chance. "The big yellow one."

I turned to the young man who has a strange look on his face. "What happened to him?" Was it suspicion in his face? Disgust? Horror? I couldn't put my finger on it.

"There was a fire. Chance got hurt, but he made it out."

The man was silent for a moment, so I decided to continue. "My name is Catherine." I held out my hand.

I suppose he realized his silence and looked at my hand. Finally, he shook it. "My name is Jared."

I continued to stare at him, and the look never fully left his face. Maybe he wanted a closer look? The thought of showing off my dog's scars didn't sit well with me. I looked towards Chance, and he was trotting towards me. He looked tired, and I placed down a bowl that I brought with me and poured water into it. He lapped it up loudly. I smiled, then turned back to Jared.

He was staring at Chance inquisitively. I hated that he was doing that. When Chance finished, he looked up at me, then Jared. He walked over to him with his big wet tongue hanging out of his mouth. Jared smiled and squatted so that he could pet Chance. Chance took the opportunity to sloppily lick his face.

Jared laughed, then turned to me apologetically. "I'm sorry," he said.

Realization struck me like a hammer. He thought I did this to him. I could never; Chance was my only friend. There was no way for me to fully express my anger. Jared realized how angry I was and spoke quickly.

"I work at an animal shelter. I'm sorry. You see injuries like this and you can't help but think the worst."

His explanation wasn't good enough. "I couldn't… I would _never_…" I was unable to form a complete sentence due to the overwhelming fury. The frustration I felt only magnified the feeling.

"I'm sorry," he apologized again. He reached towards me, as to touch me and show his sincerity. That definitely did not help.

"Don't touch me!" I screamed a little too loudly. The other people in the park turned towards us.

Jared jerked his hand back. He looked down in shame.

This was a bad idea. The sun was starting to set, and I needed to go home. I muttered something about the time, and put Chance's leash on. We quickly left the park. After we had put a little distance between ourselves and the incident, I sat on a bench. There weren't many people on the street. It was starting to get late, but I didn't pay too much attention to it. I shuddered as I replayed what happened over and over in my head. Chance lay down quietly next to the bench. He waited patiently as I collected myself. When I felt like everything would be okay, I turned to him.

"Thanks, buddy. I bet you're hungry."

He stood up quickly and wagged his tail. I smiled at his response. He wasn't the only one. My stomach grumbled as I realized I hadn't eaten since breakfast. I didn't have much to look forward to at home, just some leftovers. It was better than nothing I suppose.

I looked around and oriented myself. We were a bit of a walk from home, but it was okay. I was really enjoying myself. I had been cooped up inside my apartment ever since I had arrived here. It was nice to finally get out. We started our way home, and I promised myself I wouldn't let this isolated incident ruin my night.

EmPOV

We reached the store just in time. I ran inside, and walked directly towards the game console section. I picked up an X-Box Elite, and walked towards the cash register. After I paid, I walked towards the car. Everyone was standing around and quietly chatting amongst themselves. It was Bella and Alice I heard first.

"Please," they said in unison with the same sort of inflection. It was the voice they used to get what they wanted. I don't know why these guys even bother to resist. I could never say no to Rose, and I knew they were the same.

"I don't know," Edward said, though he had submission written all over his face.

"What's going on guys?" I asked as I opened the car door and placed my purchase inside.

"The girls want to play in the city. They're upset because they haven't been able to 'fully explore,'" Edward explained.

"We've done nothing since we've been here and I wanna go shopping!" Alice said. She reminded me of a small child, and I laughed as I pictured her stamping her foot. Edward saw it too and couldn't help but chuckle.

"I want to check out that little jazz club downtown," Bella said. I smiled at my sisters and knew that my evening was probably not going to include X-Box. They all turned to me. I guess I was going to be the tie breaker.

I sighed with resignation. "Okay, you all do what you want and I'm going to walk around the city. Meet here in an hour…"

Alice raised her eyebrow.

"… and a half?" I finished. I glanced around at all their faces. It seemed like a good idea. By the time we got home, Rose would surely be there.

"Okay!" Alice squealed as she dragged Jasper to the closest clothing store. It looked closed to me, but I knew Alice had her ways. Bella and Edward smiled at each other as they walked in the opposite direction, holding hands. I looked around. I wasn't too familiar with the area, but I was sure there was a sports bar somewhere. Maybe there was a good game on tonight.

As I walked, my thoughts were consumed by Rose. I knew it had only been a few hours since I saw her last, but I couldn't help it. I missed her when she was not around. I knew sometimes my siblings did not share the sentiment, but they were kind enough to never say anything. They knew I loved Rose more than anything. It may not be the same kind of love that they had with their mates, but it worked for Rose and I. I sighed as I thought of her hair, her eyes, her lips.

When I finally snapped out of it, I realized that I was in a deserted area near the park. I frowned, knowing I was not going in the right direction. I was just about to turn and backtrack when it hit me.

I stopped. What… was… that?

It was the most heavenly scent I had ever smelled. It was intoxicating and irresistible. My throat burned and venom filled my mouth instantly. I turned in the direction of the breeze that brought the scent towards me. It was a girl walking a dog with scars over his body. They were about 150 yards ahead of me with their backs turned towards me.

She would never know what hit her.

I knew I could close the distance quickly. I never once thought of my family as I ran towards the girl. The only images that filled my head were violent and foreign. I had never had this reaction towards a human before. I thought I was past this, that I was safe around humans. But something about this girl was different.

She could not be ignored.

I faintly heard Alice calling my name. The thought never fully rested on my brain. As I got closer, I could hear the music coming from the girl's ears. Her headphones were turned up loudly, and she would never hear my approach. The dog, however, stopped and turned towards me. With his teeth bared, he looked as though he was going to lunge at me. The girl stopped and was about to turn. So she would see it coming after all.

That's when I felt the impact. The growl in my throat was stifled by someone's hand. My crazed eyes noticed Edward as he tackled me into the park. We were blocked from the girl's vision by large, thick bushes and trees. Edward was followed closely by Bella, then Jasper and Alice. They all held me down. Alice finally stood and peered through the bushes. I could hear the dog's bark faded as the girl was scolding him.

"She's gone," she held and let out a breath.

I felt wave after wave of calm. Jasper was trying desperately to get me to compose myself. At first, I resisted. But the more I looked into their worried faces, the more I allowed myself to calm down. After a few agonizing moments, I relaxed. We all stood up silently, and walked out of the park onto the sidewalk. Edward and Jasper walked next to me, their hands gripped firmly on my arms. Edward's grip started to relax once we had a reached a good distance from the site.

_I wouldn't_. My thoughts reached Edward and he instantly resumed his grip. No one said anything as we reached the car and drove home. The more I was left with my thoughts, the more shameful I became. What happened to me? What caused me to snap? My thoughts briefly shot back to the scent and my overwhelming response. I saw Edward cringe next to me.

We reached the house, and I was the first to walk in. Rose was waiting for me in the living room. She stood up from the couch with a loving and excited smile. It quickly faded when she saw the strain in everyone's expression.

"What the hell happened? You guys look like someone just died"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I just wanted to take a second and thank all of the readers who posted comments and have given me encouragement. I also want to thank the people who have put my story on alert: you have no idea how happy that makes me. I have this story written up to the 6****th**** chapter. After I post that, it will probably take me up to a week to post subsequent chapters. I am a perfectionist and don't want to settle for posting anything other than my best. Also, the song at the beginning of this chapter is "A Martyr Of My Love For You" by the White Stripes. It reminds me so much of how Edward felt about Bella during the human years of their relationship. Just because I'm writing a story about Emmett doesn't mean I'm not completely in love with Edward and Bella!**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 3

CatPOV

_I could stay a while  
But sooner or later I'll break your smile  
And I can tell a joke  
But one of these days I'm bound to choke  
And we could share a kiss  
But I feel like I can't go through with this  
And I bet we could build a home  
But I know the right thing for me to do  
Is to leave you alone_

I let the music flow over me. This song always has the power to make my heart stop. The lyrics were… perfect. I would swear it was not a man that wrote this. And just as I was about to completely lose myself, forgetting completely that I was walking my dog in Portland late into the night; I was rudely torn from my fantasy.

"Dammit, Chance! What the hell?!" He had pulled so hard I almost let go of the leash. His deep bark took me off guard. What the hell could he be barking at? I hadn't seen another living soul since we left the downtown area.

I squinted hard in the dark, not being able to see anything. Chance was still tugging relentlessly on his leash, towards the bushes that lined the park. I thought I saw them shiver, but then again, maybe not. I yanked hard on the leash, and it got Chance's attention, though he was still growling softly.

"Chance! What has gotten into you? Come on, we're going home," I pulled on his leash with authority. Chance finally fell in step with me, reluctantly. He was constantly looking behind us. It made me nervous. Did he see something I did not?

My pace quickened and we reached the apartment. Chance ran ahead of me a little too quickly. I tripped and landed hard on the cold stone steps.

"Shit! Damn second floor apartment," I muttered as I pulled myself off the steps. I fumbled with my keys, noticing that my right hand was a little bloody. I hurried inside and shut the door, still feeling a little spooked from earlier. But mostly, I was mad.

"Chance! Don't _ever_ do that again! You had me so scared…" I stopped. Chance had taken post at the front window, watching every shadow and every movement. It made me nervous as his scarred tail swung ominously back and forth. His ears were thrown back and a soft growl was present in the back of his throat. I could almost swear I saw him bare his teeth.

He was warning the shadows that this was his domain and they had better think twice before coming in. I had never seen Chance as a guard dog before…

I walked into the kitchen and found his box of treats. I was still a little nervous to go near him, not knowing exactly how wound up he was. I slid the treat across the wooden floor. The sound of the soft scratches seemed to break his trance, and he happily pounced on the treat and ate it quickly. He walked over to me with his tail wagging friendly.

"Thanks," I muttered, still very conscious of the fact that I was talking to a dog. He licked the palm of my hand, and we turned to head into the bedroom. I turned around one last time to check the locks on the front door. Better to be safe than sorry.

I walked into my bathroom, and turned on the light. I looked horrible. My right palm had numerous scrapes. There was also a shallow, yet bloody gash on the side of the same hand. My knee also took damage. My jeans were torn and my left knee had an ugly scrape where my knee had connected with the edge of the step.

I cleaned my wounds and bandaged them. I felt a wave of exhaustion run across my body, and I threw myself into the bed. Chance had already fallen asleep and was snoring loudly. The sound made me smile, and I fell asleep within minutes.

EmPOV

Everyone was waiting for an answer, but I couldn't get my thoughts straight. All I could do was stare and let the realization hit me over and over like a ton of bricks. _I almost killed someone. I almost killed that girl_. I looked at my family's faces, one by one. Their faces were distorted and twisted with confusion, anger, and doubt. I couldn't bear it. I was the strong one, the one you could count on to take care of the family. The thought of them no longer viewing me in that role filled me with sorrow, and my throat constricted, wishing it could sob. I couldn't let them see me like that.

"I'm so sorry…" My voice sounded weak. It was so foreign to me. It felt like years had passed before anyone spoke up.

"Stop beating yourself up, big brother," Alice said with a slight smile on her face. Her voice hung in the still air. I turned to Rose. Her face was filled with pity, and I hated it. I hated knowing she knew how weak I could really be.

Edward told the family what happened. He and Bella were returning to the car. I guess I hadn't realized how long I had been walking in the wrong direction. They noticed that neither I nor Alice and Jasper had made it back yet. Suddenly, he saw in Alice's mind a vision of me killing a girl with curly brown hair. He grabbed Bella and they immediately started running in the direction I had left the car earlier that evening. Once they caught my scent, they ran even faster. Not a single human eye would have been able to see them. They caught sight of Alice and Jasper first; then they saw me. They were able to tackle me into the bushes just moments before I would have attacked. He left out my memories of the girl's scent and how it commanded my attention.

"I just don't understand, Emmett. _Why_?" Rosalie asked with utter bewilderment laced in every word she spoke.

"There was something different about her… about her scent. I don't know; I couldn't control myself. She just smelled so…_good_," I said with a voice low with shame.

"Well, they all smell good!" Rosalie was pissed. She just couldn't understand, and it seemed that I couldn't articulate it properly.

I turned to Edward, knowing he knew exactly what I wanted to say. He felt it in my memories, the feeling that girl gave to me. _Please help me make her understand_.

"I think, what he's trying to say, Rosalie, is that she smelled _extra good_," he said slowly.

"Stop speaking to me like I'm an idiot, Edward!" Rosalie was about lay into Edward when realization clouded her eyes. She turned to me, now with a touch of fright written in those beautiful amber eyes. "You mean she smelled to you like Bella smelled to Edward?"

"Um… I don't…" I couldn't complete the thought. I never really knew exactly how Bella's scent affected Edward. I never thought to ask him.

"Yes, Rosalie. She had the same effect on Emmett that Bella had on me." He quickly added, "In terms of the way she smells, of course, not in any other way."

The fear left Rose's eyes, and I understood. _No one could ever take your place, _I tried to tell her with my eyes. I would have to make sure I remind her again tonight.

"So, she was a singer?" Bella asked.

A singer… otherwise referred to as _la tua cantata_. It was a phenomenon that occurred, although rarely, in the vampire community where a human's blood "sung" a vampire. The song sounded something like, "I smell good, please come eat me."

I now looked at Edward with new reverence. He was able to resist his singer, and subsequently fall in love with her. When I smelt that girl, nothing but death was in my mind.

"It's okay, Emmett," he said with reassurance. "Every other vampire in the world would have reacted the same way you did."

I saw his eyes flash to Alice, who had a blank look on her face. I knew she was having a vision, but I couldn't care any less. I had to make sure Rose understood me. I had to make sure she still loved me.

"Rose… please understand. I don't know what happened, but I promise I won't do anything to jeopardize our living here. Right?" I asked as I turned to Alice.

She had a sparkling look in her eye that told me that she saw something in the future that she really liked. I didn't want to hear about it.

"Don't meddle, Alice," I said with a stern voice.

"Don't you want to know whether or not you will hurt her? And I _don't _meddle!"

I sighed with resignation. "Yes, Alice. I just want to know whether or not we can stay here."

She beamed as she nodded her head.

I turned to Carlise, who was deep in thought. "Can we please stay? I'll probably never run into her again, and I don't want to be the reason we move _again_, and I don't want Rose to have to quit her new job." I tried to pack in as many reasons as possible as quick as possible before Carlise could think of a reason for us to leave. I didn't want to hurt my family even more by forcing them to pick up and leave. Moving was so hard on all of us.

He let out a long breath as the rest of us held ours.

"Okay, we'll stay."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

CatPOV

I can't believe it. It's only the second day of school and I'm already running late. I rushed through my morning routine. This greatly irritated Chance as I didn't allow him to properly search for the perfect spot for his morning duties.

I was just about to run out the door when I noticed my hand. The bandage looked disgusting; my hand had bled all night leaving the bandage to look like something out of a horror movie. I didn't have the time to properly change it. I just threw another bandage over the old one and prayed that no one would notice.

I jumped into my pretty black car. It wasn't new, but that didn't matter. It was what was on the inside that counts. Brad had given my engine a makeover that basically turned my car into something highly illegal in the state of Texas. As long as I didn't push my car to its capabilities, no one would be able to tell. I thanked my lucky stars that I decided to take my car up here. It was a long drive in my little black Honda Civic, but it definitely came in handy on days like these. Today, those capabilities would have to be pushed.

Along with the gift of an engine makeover, Brad taught me how to drive. Well, he taught me how to drive like him. These lessons brought us closer together, seeing as my dad could not know about them. Before the lessons, Brad had just been my brother. After, we were best friends. It was a secret love that he and I could share. I choked back a sob as I thought about the little dirt roads we would go find and have our brother/sister bonding time. They were the best moments of my life.

I hopped into my car, turned the key in the ignition, threw my car into gear, and floored it. The engine roared and my car leapt out of its resting place, and I soared to school.

The feeling was absolutely extraordinary. I hadn't driven like a speed demon in a very long time, and I could tell it was something I missed. I made a promise to myself that I would find the time and the place to drive like this again. I also promised myself that I would never drive like this in the city again.

I hurried into the school parking lot, finding that there wasn't much parking left. I grudgingly parked in the back lot and made my way to class. I vaguely noticed that I wasn't the only one late today. A shiny silver car pulled up a couple of spaces away from my car.

I noticed movement inside the car in my peripheral vision, but no one actually stepped out of the car. I glanced towards the car and noticed a big guy sitting in the front seat staring at me like I was lunch. The rest of the occupants in the car had mixed expressions on their faces. Most of their expressions were very serious except one. A slight girl with spiky dark hair looked back and forth between the big guy and me with a calm, almost ethereal look on her face. At one point, she flashed me an award winning smile. I smiled back, knowing confusion was firmly planted in my expression.

I didn't have all day to contemplate the strange people in the shiny silver car. I held my school bag tightly to my side, and rushed into class.

The professor was already speaking as I slipped into class. I walked in as quietly as possible, and slipped into one of the seats in the back of the classroom.

The professor was talking about the next book he was assigning us to read. I let out a long sigh of relief when I heard him talking about Great Expectations. I had read that one a long time ago. The next three weeks were to be dedicated to the Charles Dickens classic, so I would have it pretty easy. It left time for me to focus more on the reading assignment for American Literature, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. I had never been a big Hemingway fan, so it would take more concentration than usual to get through one of his books.

As the professor droned on about the assigned literature, I allowed my mind to wonder about the events of this morning. I couldn't have but think about that strange group of people in that silver car. Why was the big guy staring at me like that? And why did everyone else seem anxious about it? And what was up with the small girl? Why did she look so… pleased to see me? I was absolutely certain I had never spoken to any of them before, so I couldn't have offended them in any way. I looked at my clothes. I wasn't wearing anything that screamed, "Texan!" I learned very early that people up North don't have the best idea of Texans.

I was so escaped in my thoughts, that I didn't realize that everyone in the room had left, and the professor was gathering his things. I stood up walked out the door. I kept searching for the big guy or the slight girl from the car earlier this morning. I had never seen them before, so I don't know why I was expecting to see them now.

The day ended quickly for me, and I rushed to my car. When I finally reached it, I noticed that the silver car was already gone. A shot of disappointment ran through me. I wanted to confront their odd behavior. I've managed to go through the past couple of months without anyone noticing me, let alone have a problem with me. What the hell could I have done?

I shook the feeling of disappointment. It was immediately replaced with a feeling of annoyance. The feeling stayed with me the entire drive home.

I pulled up to my apartment, happy to be home. I walked up the stairs, feeling complete elation. When I looked at my front door, however, the feeling quickly escaped me. The front door was slightly cracked. I distinctly remember closing and locking the door behind me, it was a habit I had picked up after moving to Portland. I pulled a small can of mace of out my purse, and held it out in front of me as I opened the door. My arms immediately fell to my side as a familiar face stared at me from my living room.

"Oh, my God! What are you doing here?!"

EmPOV

"Alice! Bella! Come on, we're going to be late!" I roared through the house from the bottom of the stairs. Jasper and Edward were standing beside me, obviously irritated with the girls as well, but would never take that tone with them. I wasn't scared of them; I could talk to them however I wanted. Okay, maybe I was a little scared of Alice. But a vampire running late is absolutely ridiculous. There is no chance of oversleeping, considering that we never slept. Vampire speed should rule out running behind. What could they be doing up there?

Bella was the first to come down the stairs. She looked just as irritated as the rest of us. It was apparent that she did not have any say on how the morning went for her. She was dressed in very non-Bella clothes and her hair made her look like a Miss America contestant.

"Sorry, guys," she mumbled. "Alice went a little overboard this morning. I tried to stop her, but she's a lot stronger than she looks."

Just then, Alice danced her way down the stairs. She didn't look the least bit shaken at the fact that we were all aggravated with her.

"Okay, I'm ready!" she exclaimed with an enormous smile on her face.

I glared at her with my best mean face. She just continued to smile that knowing smile of hers as we headed to the car. "Well, missy, can you explain to me why we are running late this morning? You are aware this is the first time in the history of the universe that a vampire is going to be late."

Alice continued to smile at me as she spoke, "We are not going to be late, Emmett. In fact, I think we'll be right on time."

I hated the fact that she was using her powers to manipulate the events of the day. To me, it was cheating. Why couldn't she just let the day unfold naturally?

As to be expected, we arrived to school late. I tried not to let my annoyance take over me, but resistance was futile. We drove to one of the back lots, and managed to find a parking space in one of the last rows.

"Dammit, Alice, I knew we were going to be late!" I opened by door slightly, when the smell hit me. It was like a ton of bricks all over again.

Jasper and Edward were immediately aware of my change of mood. Edward grabbed my arm, forcing the door shut. A little cloud of her scent was stuck inside the car. I held my breath, and allowed Jasper to send calming waves over me.

"What's going on?" Bella's voice was full of panic.

"It's her," I managed to breathe out. We all turned to look at her. She was walking by the car quickly, trying to make it to class. She was medium height, and had a very athletic, almost stocky build. Her curly brown hair danced down to the middle of her back. She turned, and looked directly at me. Her blue eyes were piercing. They reminded me of my mother's when she caught me doing something bad. I also noticed a bandage on her hand covered in her blood. Her sweet, delicious blood… _Get a grip, Emmett_. She then looked slightly to my left and flashed an awkward smile. I turned, and saw Alice smiling at her.

"Alice! What are you doing?" I didn't want the girl to feel welcome enough to approach us. I was so afraid of hurting her.

"I'm just being polite, Emmett. I don't want her to think we're monsters. Look at us!"

I looked around, and it certainly was a sight to see. Bella looked worried and anxious. Jasper and Edward were on guard, ready to restrain me at a moment's notice. I could only imagine what kind of look I was giving that girl.

"Edward," I turned to my brother whose grip never relaxed on my arm. "What is she thinking?"

He looked at her briefly, and then spoke. "She is wondering what she could have done to offend you. And she thinks that Alice is really strange."

I laughed boisterously. It seemed to break the tension in the car, and we all relaxed. "Well, she's got that right!"

Everyone chuckled, but then fell silent. Each was contemplating what to do next.

"I think we should go home," Bella said softly. Edward turned to me, awaiting my response. I nodded. He turned the car on, and we went home.

Esme was waiting for us at the door. She must have heard us coming up the road. "What's the matter? Why are you home early?" She made no attempt to hide the worry in her voice.

"She was there, at the school," Jasper said, his expression solemn.

"Oh, Emmett! What happened?" She scanned my appearance quickly, trying to find any signs worthy of her concern. When she was satisfied that I had not killed the girl, her posture visibly relaxed.

"I don't know. I was just about to walk out of the car, when her scent hit me like a freight train. Before I had time to react, Edward pulled me back in the car." I turned to him and attempted to smile gratefully.

Esme turned to Edward and smiled as well. Edward spoke, "It wasn't just me. Emmett displayed remarkable self-control. He held his breath and was perfectly still. After his initial movement, he made no attempts to run after the girl."

This time, the whole family was looking at me and smiling. I couldn't believe that they were actually proud of me.

"I knew you could do it, Emmett. I knew all along. I just had to make sure you knew." Alice was practically bouncing where she stood. She ran up to me and threw her little arms around my waist. But I was not in the mood.

"Alice!" I growled. My tone alarmed her and she quickly pulled away from me. Jasper growled softly and placed himself in between me and Alice.

I continued, unfazed by Jasper's reaction. "I can't believe you! You willingly put that girl's life in danger just to make a point! I COULD HAVE KILLED HER!"

Bella came up to me, and softly put her hand on my arm. "Don't be mad, Emmett. You didn't hurt that girl. Alice was just trying to make you see what we all know you are capable of."

Her soft words pierced my anger, and I calmed myself down. I took in a deep breath before I continued, "Why was the lesson so important, Alice? Why is this girl important?"

There was a little bit of shame etched in Alice's features, but I could tell that she was determined not to let me see it. "She's very important to you, Emmett. Or, at least, she will be very soon."

Before I could question her further, she stopped me. She headed up to her bedroom. Jasper followed behind her closely. Esme, Edward, Bella, and I looked after them inquisitively. I could see Edward trying to read her mind, but she was keeping it blocked. He let at a hiss in frustration.

"She keeps playing something in her mind over and over. Something you told her, Emmett. 'Don't meddle, Alice.'"

I was suddenly regretting those words. Alice knew all the information I wanted to know. I wouldn't let her win, however. I could find out all these things without her help.

I sat down at the kitchen table, running through a million ideas in my head. I never heard Carlisle come home. He, Edward, and Bella joined me at the table.

"Emmett," Carlisle started, softly. "Emmett, I have a theory."

I looked up at him. I was so hopeful. I could sit here for the next five months and not come up with a single reasonable theory. Leave it to Carlisle to do all my hard work for me.

"Lay it on me."

"Well," he started slowly, looking at Bella and Edward. "No vampire in history has ever resisted their singer. That is, no vampire before Edward."

I looked at Edward with all the respect I could muster. He met my gaze, and then squeezed Bella's hand. She looked at him with complete adoration, and my heart suddenly ached for Rose.

Carlisle continued, "I've been wondering for some time now what would happen if instead of falling victim to the song of their blood, the vampire decided to get to know their singer. There has to be a reason, Emmett. There has to be a reason why one person is singled out in the way they smell and the effect they have on a certain vampire."

My mind was working over this bit of information. Of course, there had to be a reason. Maybe Fate brought me and this mystery girl together. But why?

"Carlisle, my heart belongs to Rose."

"I know, Emmett," Carlisle's expression changed. He looked like he was working out a complex math problem. "I don't know what the reason is, Emmett, but I think it would be to your benefit to find out. That is, if you trust yourself to. We cannot make this decision for you."

I glanced at Edward and Bella. Edward's face was blank. He did not want to sway my decision one way or another. Bella, on the other hand, looked hopeful. She desired to know the truth, though I knew she would have accepted my decision if I decided not to pursue this bit of knowledge.

What if I fell in love with this girl the way Edward fell in love with Bella? I didn't want to hurt Rose that way. _No, there is no way I could love anyone the way I love Rose_. Who was this girl? What role is she supposed to play in my life? I had to know.

'Well, what are we waiting for? Let's find out about the girl causing all this trouble."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

CatPOV

"Now is that any way to greet your favorite big brother?" A familiar voice with a strong Southern accent welcomed me and two gigantic arms scooped me up and pulled me into a huge, broad chest.

"Brad! Put me down, I can hardly breathe," I gasped as his death grip relaxed. He pulled me away from his body and stared at me with the biggest smile I had ever seen on his face. This was an amazing feat, seeing as he was always smiling. "And you're my only big brother."

"Sorry, Catty. I've just missed you so much. Dad and I were starting to get a little worried because we haven't heard from you in so long. I just wanted to come visit you, you know; I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

I looked down at my feet in shame. It was true that I hadn't spoken to neither him nor my dad in some time. In truth, I was avoiding speaking to them. They made me miss home, a normal life. I could never say that to them. I could never let them see just how much I was hurting.

"Don't be sorry, Brad. I'm happy to see you. How did you get here?"

He smiled. "Oh, I've just been saving up ever since you left and bought myself a plane ticket. It wasn't first class or anything, but still, it was a nice flight."

I smiled and took my first real good look at him. Brad is about six feet, three inches tall. He's also incredibly muscular; it was the product of him doing so much manual labor. He didn't want to continue his education after high school. Instead, he chose to do odd jobs. He was well-known in the area we grew up in as a master mechanic, but he's been known to work on the occasional ranch. He didn't really care for ranch work, but it paid really well. His height combined with his brawny physique must have made the plane right almost unbearable.

He hadn't fully answered my question. "What I meant, Brad, is how did you get into my apartment?"

His smile widened. "I just told the office lady that I was your brother and I wanted to surprise you. Don't worry, Catty, she checked my ID," he slipped in quickly as my eyebrows rose in fear. "I think she worries about you. She kept going on and on about how you keep to yourself. She was very happy to see that you have a friend besides Chance. Speak of the devil…"

Chance ran into the living room and almost toppled me over. He stared into my eyes, begging to be let outside. I laughed and grabbed his leash. "Alright, boys, let's go for a walk."

Brad and I took Chance outside. Brad took the small window of silence as an opportunity to blindside me with questions.

He asked about school and the classes I was taking. He also asked if I made any friends. He shook his head when I was honest in my answer.

"Catty, you can't just run and hide from your problems. It's bad enough that you left your entire life in Texas. But to come here and not even attempt to start over…" He couldn't finish his sentence. I could tell that it hurt him to think about how I was feeling.

"I've only been here for a couple of months, Brad. You know how shy I am," I said with the fakest smile I could muster. He didn't buy it.

"Catherine Sophia! I _know_ you're lying to me now! You haven't been shy a day in your life. And, I'm gonna prove it to ya!" he bellowed as he opened the door to my apartment for me.

After he walked in and closed the door behind, he ran into the kitchen. He came out with a glorious sight: a bottle of tequila in one hand, and a pack of cigarettes in another.

I could have kissed him. But, I didn't want to make it that easy for him. "You know I quit smoking six months ago."

"Girl, you _cannot_ have a night with Mr. Cuervo without taking a trip into Marlboro country!" He laughed as he opened the bottle of tequila and poured two double shots, one for the both of us.

I lifted my glass with the biggest, stupidest grin I've had on my face since I moved to Portland.

"Cheers!"

EmPOV

I had no idea where to start in my search for the mysterious Smell Good Girl. Lucky for me, I had Edward and Bella.

Bella was incredibly excited about the quest. I think she's been spending too much time with Alice. I didn't need to hyper spazes in the house. "We can start at the school! Once we catch her scent, we can follow it to where she lives!"

Edward looked at Bella with a quizzical expression. "Bella, love, why does it seem that you are more excited to find out about this girl than Emmett?"

Bella looked at the ground, and if she could still blush, she would have in this moment. The memory of the faces she used to make when she was full of human embarrassment made a chuckle rise out of my chest. "I read a lot of Nancy Drew when I was younger, and the thought of going on my own Nancy Drew-esque adventure excites me," she said with a low voice. It made the chuckle turn into a roaring laugh.

Edward wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest. He smiled as he pressed his face into the top of her head. A small chuckle finally gave way. "I love you."

I rolled my eyes in disgust. "Come on guys! What are we waiting for?" I raised my arm and pointed in the direction of the college. "Off to the school!"

We ran to the school, sticking close to the shadows to avoid being seen. When we arrived at the parking lot where we saw her earlier in the day, I picked up her scent. Edward, Bella, and I followed the scent to an apartment building about five miles from the school. The scent led to a second floor apartment. There was loud music playing in the apartment, and what sounded like two very drunk individuals singing… poorly.

"Absolutely atrocious. Do you hear that?" Edward said with a frown on his face.

I couldn't help but laugh. Edward had given me the same face on more than one occasion when I would sing.

"Not all of us can be blessed with your musical abilities." I scowled at Edward playfully, and he allowed a grin to break across his face.

My ears perked as I listened to the occupant's sing. There was a man and a woman singing. I assumed the woman was my mystery girl. The man could have been anyone. I heard stumbling in the apartment as the voices, clear due to my superior vampire hearing, filled the tiny room. I laughed as I listened to their drunken singing.

_So kiss me, I'm shitfaced…_ The voices were slurred and it was clear to me at that point that whoever was in the apartment was having a much better night than me.

Without warning, the door to the apartment swung open. I held my breath in anticipation of my Smell Good Girl's appetizing scent. She stumbled out of the apartment with a man that looked very similar to her. He must have been family, probably her brother since they looked so much alike.

He swung his arm roughly around the girl's shoulder and spoke rather loudly. "Come on, Kitty Cat. I did my research and found the perfect bar for me and you not too far from here."

The girl threw his arm off her shoulders and lit up a cigarette. "Don't call me Kitty Cat, Brad. I fucking hate that name." She took a deep drag and blew the smoke into Brad's face. I couldn't help but admire her spunk.

Brad laughed boisterously and swung her in the direction he wanted her to head in. I tensed, praying they weren't planning on driving. I feared they would never make it to their destination.

"Aww, don't get all butt hurt, Catherine. I was just kidding." A humongous grin broke across his face and whatever remnants of a scowl were on Catherine's face completely disappeared. He ruffled her hair playfully. She laughed the same boisterous laugh as Brad and they walked down the street towards the downtown area.

I turned to Bella and Edward. They nodded and we followed the drunken duo, making sure to not be seen. Every time they stopped, we made sure to hide in the shadows. They finally reached their destination: a bar that apparently featured "Fight Nights" regularly. This bit of information didn't slip past Catherine either.

"Brad, I can't fight. I haven't fought in so long!" She turned to him, crossing her arms and staring him down.

I turned to Edward and Bella. They had mirror expressions: absolute shock. I felt the same way. This human was the most intriguing specimen I had ever met, next to Bella. I was eager to learn more about her. I turned back to their conversation.

"Now, now, Catherine. I know it's been a while, but I also know that you have some built up aggression that needs to be released. Besides, the girls that fight in these kinds of places are hardly ever serious." It looked as though Catherine's resolves wasn't wavering, so Brad quickly added, "Please?"

She sighed and dropped her arms to her side in defeat. Brad pumped his fist triumphantly and they headed inside the bar.

I stood up from my crouched position and went to follow them. Edward grabbed my arm quickly, "Do you really think that is a good idea?"

I shook my arm out of his grasp, annoyed with his reaction. "What's the worst that can happen?"

Edward stared at me disapprovingly, but it was Bella that broke our silence. "Come on, Edward. We'll be here with him, and I want to know more about Catherine."

Edward, who could never say no to Bella, relented. "Okay. But at the first sign of trouble, we are out of there."

I had already started walking towards the bar as soon as Edward began to speak. We walked inside, and it smelled awful. Vomit, sweat, and blood filled the air. All three of us held our breath. It's not like anyone would notice we weren't breathing, most of the occupants probably wouldn't even remember the night.

I caught sight of Brad and Catherine. They were at the bar, ordering drinks and signing up for fight matches. The three of us took a seat in a corner tall table, and tried to look like we belonged there. Edward left the table, and came back with three beers. We sat there with our drinks that would never be touched. Ten minutes into the night, and I was bored.

I turned to Edward with a sly smile on my face. "Hey, you think I should sign up for a boxing match. Come on, one round can't hurt, right?"

Bella's eyes widened and I laughed at the sight of her. "Just kidding, Bells. You always take everything so seriously."

Bella was just about to open her mouth to retort, but a loud voice cut her short.

"Ladies and gentleman, may I have your attention please?! Our sole female fight of the night: Catherine and Jacqueline!"

The crowd erupted in applause when Jacqueline was mentioned. She looked mean. Her build was similar to that of Catherine's, but she had a few inches in height on her. Her body was heavily tattooed and pierced. Her hair was bleached platinum blonde and cut very short. Were I in Catherine's shoes, I would be afraid.

But Catherine didn't look afraid. She had a very goofy, almost lazy smile on her face, and every time she looked over at Brad, she would laugh. It was obvious she found the situation very amusing. I worried for her; clearly she was too drunk to realize the severity of the situation.

The sound of a bell rang through the bar, and both girls brought their fists up to their face. Their bright red boxing gloves stood out in the dark bar. The girls were circling one another, occasionally throwing out a fist to test one another. Catherine still had that goofy smile on her face, but Jacqueline looked like she was out for blood. A stray whistle from a face in the crowd stole Catherine's attention for a brief second, but it was all that Jacqueline needed. Her fist caught directly in Catherine's face, catching her right above her left eye.

Catherine, taken off guard, fell backwards and landed on her butt and elbows. I turned to look at Brad to see his reaction, surely he must care about what was happening, but he didn't move. A small smile lingered on his face.

Catherine rubbed her arm across her left eye, smearing blood across her forehead. Jacqueline raised her fists in triumph and turned her back on Catherine. Catherine slowly stood up with a new smile on her face. This smile was dark. I suddenly felt more afraid for Jacqueline.

Jacqueline turned around to look at Catherine, but made a costly mistake. She didn't have her fists up.

Catherine reared back her left arm and gave a quick, hard jab to Jacqueline's nose. The jab was quickly followed by a powerful right hook to the jaw. Jacqueline didn't have a chance. She was out cold before she even hit the floor.

I quickly forgot that we were supposed to be inconspicuous. I roared victoriously for Catherine and jumped out of my seat. She turned her head and looked at me with recognition in her expression. She looked like she was about to walk towards me when Brad rushed to her and held up her arms. The crowd applauded loudly and Catherine's focus was now on her success.

Edward grabbed my shoulder and pulled me down to my seat. "Are you insane?" he hissed.

"Sorry. I was just overcome with pride. Did you see how quick that hook was? That Jacqueline girl didn't have a chance! She had no clue what she was walking into."

He continued to glower at me. "That didn't mean you had to up and blow our cover."

I ignored Edward. I knew then and there that I _had_ to know this girl. The way she smelled no longer mattered to me. What mattered to me now was getting to know Catherine.

"I'm going to go talk to her." I rushed out of my seat before Edward and Bella could stop me. I rushed over to Catherine, but barely missed her as she went into the ladies room. I waited patiently outside for her to come out. As soon as she did, I hurried up to her. She had washed the blood of her face, but the area was quickly turning into a dark purple. Her eyes enlarged due to my exuberance.

"You were amazing. Where did you learn to fight like that?" I vaguely felt the presence of Edward and Bella behind me, but I ignored them.

"Umm…" she started, rubbing the back of her neck anxiously. "My brother taught me." She looked up at me, and I couldn't help but smile at her. I don't know why, but I felt this overwhelming since of pride for her.

There was an awkward silence as I realized I didn't introduce myself. I must have looked like the biggest idiot. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," I heard Edward snort behind me. I held out my hand.

"My name is Emmett. Emmett Cullen."

She took my hand and gave me a firm handshake while she said her name. My breath hitched up in my throat. "I'm sorry; can you say your name again?"

"I said my name is Catherine McCarty."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

CatPOV

I knew I had met him somewhere. His large, linebacker body would make him stand out in any situation, but I still couldn't figure it out. I wasn't drunk anymore; a punch to the face will always be able to remedy that. But when it came to a memory of Emmett, I was drawing a blank. He had the same look on his face, like he was trying to figure me out. He spoke, breaking the short silence.

"This is my brother, Edward and his wife, Bella," he said, referring to the couple that was standing behind him. They were so gorgeous, such a lovely couple, that it almost brought tears to my eyes. He was tall, though not as tall as Emmett, and had an athletic build. His most prominent feature was the tousled bronze hair that sat upon his head. She had beautiful brown locks that cascaded over her shoulders. Her smile was warm and sweet. All three of them, I noticed, shared a ghostly pale complexion and fierce gold eyes. They were all, in essence, breathtaking.

I shook their hands politely. It must have seemed so odd, considering they had just witnessed me knock a girl unconscious.

"It's very nice to meet you," I said. My voice was tired, and I found that it hardly rose above a whisper. I cleared my throat in order to repeat myself so they could hear me above the noise of the bar, but Edward cut me off.

"It's very nice to meet you as well. We just had to congratulate you. That was quite an impressive show."

I giggled awkwardly. I hadn't been paid this much attention in quite some time. "I didn't even want to come here. It was my brother's idea." I turned to see Brad heading towards us. "Speak of the devil, this is my brother… OH!"

Brad picked me up and grasped me tightly, cutting off my breath. "Catty, I knew you could do it! You totally laid her OUT! Oh, I'm sorry," he said as he noticed that my face was turning red. His voice was slurred from too much liquor.

As he sat me down, he smoothed my hair and patted the top of my head. His laugh carried throughout the bar, causing several heads to turn in our direction. After a moment, he notices the three strangers I had been speaking to. "Who are your friends, Kitty Cat?"

I diverted my attention back on the Cullen family and was about to introduce them when I noticed Emmett looked as though he were holding back laughter. He had a small smirk and his lips quivered. I scowled at him, causing him to lose his cool. His laugh carried louder than Brad's. I was shocked at his blatant rudeness and momentarily lost what I was going to say. But, in true McCarty fashion, I regained my composure.

"This sweet couple is Edward and Bella Cullen," I said while Brad shook their hands. He faced Emmett in anticipation of an introduction. I didn't say anything. Brad and Emmett looked at me with confusion, but I stayed silent. I even began to absentmindedly pick my fingernails. That'll teach him for laughing at me. I noticed that Edward had a look of amusement plastered on his face and he looked at Brad and Emmett.

Brad took it upon himself to make the introduction. Addressing Emmett, he spoke, with his accent becoming thicker the less aware he became of himself, "I'm Brad McCarty. And you are?"

Emmett took his hand firmly and introduced himself. I noticed how similar they looked, but Emmett was even bigger than Brad.

'Bigger than Brad!' I thought. 'That's where I've seen him. All three of them! They were in that silver car. Emmett was the one staring at me!'

I turned to Emmett and decided that it was now or never: I was going to confront him. "YOU! You were the one in the car!" I started to slowly back away from him, losing the initial bravery I had. "Are you following me?" I asked, trying to hide the trace fear in my voice.

Brad noticed my change in tone. His posture became protective. He stood in between Emmett and me, not allowing him to come any closer to me. "Who are you?" he demanded. "Why are you following my sister?" His voice became loud and we were attracting more and more attention.

Emmett's face flashed in shock, then turned into something else. Desperation, maybe? It didn't make any sense.

"No! I'm sorry, it's just coincidence that we met here," he said, holding his hands up to show that he didn't mean any harm.

I studied his face. It seemed to be honest. I placed my hand gently on Brad's shoulder, but he did not relax.

"Down, boy," I said with a smile, trying to break the tension. Brad's body relaxed, but he did not smile. The air thinned minutely.

"You want to join us for a drink?" I asked. Brad shot a quick look at me. I shrugged. I knew exactly what he was asking me: Why? I couldn't really answer that question myself. Something about all of them, Emmett especially, reassured me that it was okay. Not only was it okay, it was the right thing to do.

"That sounds great, thank you," Bella answered with a bright smile on her face.

We walked to a corner table, trying to put as much distance between us and the noise as possible. Brad still seemed weary of the situation. Once Emmett bought him a drink, however, his mood lifted tremendously.

"So what brings you to this fine state?" Brad asked, his words slurring more and more.

"We're here for school," Edward said. I found it very polite of him not to acknowledge the fact that Brad was asking Bella. Brad knew no boundaries after he'd been drinking.

"Yeah? Me, too. What are you guys studying?" I asked, honestly curious. Such pretty people could model. Why are they wasting their time with school?

"I'm here for music composition," Edward said. His voice sounded so old to me, like he belonged in the beginning of the 20th century. How odd. I was, however, very impressed.

"Do you play many instruments?" I asked. Edward nodded. I supposed I wasn't going to get much out of him.

I turned to Bella. "And what about you?"

She smiled and said she wanted to get a degree in English Literature, the same as me. I suddenly became very eager in talking to her about it. Back home, I was made fun of because I liked to read. My dad once told me that unless the book could pay the bills, I shouldn't waste my time.

We couldn't get too far into the conversation without Brad interrupting, "Code red dork alert!" he said, laughing.

I looked at Bella apologetically, but she was laughing right along with him. I really liked this girl. She seemed so soft and fragile on the outside, but inside she was tough as nails.

I looked at Emmett and was about to inquire about his major, but his expression stopped me. He had that look on his face that he did before, like I was some sort of puzzle he needed to figure out.

Before I could think of what to say, Brad fell out of his chair. I knew the night was over.

I got off my chair and helped him up. Immediately, Emmett was on his other side, helping me stand Brad up. I silently thanked him, but there was no way I would allow him to help me get Brad all the way home.

Before I could voice my protest, Emmett spoke, "I'll help you home. You're gonna need it."

I shook my head, but Emmett held up his hand to stop me. He faced Edward and Bella. "I'll meet you guys at home."

They nodded in unison. Bella had a subtle, knowing smile on her face. We said our goodbyes and then departed. Emmett was on Brad's left side and I was on his right. We walked most of the way home in silence. We topped occasionally to let Brad get sick in some bushes. Emmett's laugh kept me from getting too upset. There was something about him that made me feel comfortable, like I was at home.

When we reached my apartment, Emmett held Brad up as I unlocked the door. I was expecting Emmett to be straining, he was only a little bit bigger than Brad, but he looked like he could hold Brad up for the rest of the night. As soon as I opened the door, Chance ran up to us and started to bark and growl at Emmett.

"Chance!" I yelled. I grabbed him by his collar and dragged him into my bedroom. Chance did not want to make it easy on me. He kept trying to rush Emmett. I finally was able to shove him into my bedroom and shut the door. I could hear him growling and whining behind the door.

"Stop it!" I said loudly and firmly while hitting the door open palmed. Chance stopped making noise, but he paced back and forth across the door.

When I turned back around, Emmett had brought Brad inside and laid him on the couch. He had passed out the second his head touched the pillow.

"Sorry about that," I said walking towards Brad. Emmett stood to the side and silently watched me take off Brad's shoes and cover him with a blanket. I got a bottle of water and a few tablets of aspirin and set it down on the ground next to Brad's head. I kissed his forehead and he snored in response. If it weren't for Emmett's soft chuckle, I would have forgotten he was here.

I walked Emmett outside, and closed the door behind us as softly as possible.

"Thank you so much for your help."

"No, it's not a problem." Emmett had a sweet smile on his face. "You really love your brother, huh?"

I returned the smile. I seemed to be doing it a lot lately. "Yeah, I never get to see him anymore. He surprised me today. He flew in to visit from Texas."

"So, you're here by yourself?"

"Pretty much." We grew quiet. It began to feel a little uncomfortable for me. "Well, good night," I said as I reached for the door.

"Wait," Emmett said, lightly grabbing my arm. Normally, this would send me into an uncontrollable rage, but today it didn't. Maybe I was drunker than I thought.

Emmett let go of his grip and continued. "Do you wanna hang out sometime? We can go for a coffee or maybe a boxing match?" He plastered a huge grin on his face. It was contagious, as I found I had one as well. But it couldn't stop the next words from coming out of my mouth.

"I can't, Emmett. I'm not looking for anything right now. I just want to sort of blend in and then disappear."

"No, no, that's not what I meant. I'm just new in town and want a buddy that's not my brother or sister," he said. There was something about his expression that reassured me that he was being truthful.

"Okay," I conceded. Part of me was yelling that I was stupid, while another part was proud that I was making an attempt. The latter must have been Brad's influence.

We made plans to hang out Friday evening. Emmett said he would pick me up at 7:00. We bid our goodbyes and I watched him walk away until he disappeared into the night.

I walked into my apartment with mixed feelings. Part of me was disappointed. I had taken such drastic measures to be alone and start over. Another part of me was curious. What was it about Emmett Cullen that made my guard fall to pieces instantly? Friday night will, hopefully, answer my question.

When I walked into my bedroom, Chance immediately ran out and scanned the apartment. When he was satisfied that all was well, he ran up to me and toppled me over. This was becoming a habit of his, not that I minded. He licked my face while I laughed.

I decided to break one of my own rules and allowed Chance to sleep in the bed with me. That night I slept soundly, something I hadn't done since the fire.

EmPOV

Edward and Bella were waiting for me just down the street from Catty's apartment. It irked me that they didn't trust me enough to just leave. When I approached them, Edward had a stupid smirk on his face.

"What?" I asked with hostility in my voice. It didn't seem to bother him at all.

"Catty? You called her Catty in your head," he asked, that smirk still plastered all over his face.

"And?"

"It's just… very sweet of you, Emmett."

I know the look on my face had to be murderous. It was exactly how I felt. This situation in and of itself was incredibly odd. Why would he make fun of me for it?

"Oh, Emmett, I'm just kidding. Since when have you been so sensitive?"

"Oh, I don't know, Edward. Maybe it happened around the time I ran into my great-great-great niece and nephew? I can't believe I almost killed her." The realization of it was starting to hit me, and I hated the feeling. I almost killed her, my family!

"Calm down, Emmett, it's okay," Bella said with her voice full of concern. I couldn't calm down though. I was drowning in the magnitude of my "almost" mistake. She would have died right before her brother came in town to surprise her. She would have died without me ever knowing exactly who she was. She would have died before I got the chance to know her. The scenarios were running endlessly through my head. If I were able to, I would have been getting a headache.

"Emmett, stop!" Edward said. I looked at him and he looked like he did have a headache.

"Sorry, Edward. It's just overwhelming thinking about how things could have gone."

"Yes, but they didn't go that way, did they?" Bella had a way of always being able to put things into perspective for me.

I didn't even realize we were walking home until we arrived. This was messing me up more than I initially realized.

When we walked inside, Rose was sitting on the couch waiting for me. "What the hell took you guys so long? I've been here waiting for two hours!" she would have continued with her rant, but the looks on our faces stopped her cold. "What's going on, Emmett? Is something wrong?"

I sighed and sat her down on the couch. I told her the whole situation: about seeing Catherine at school, about playing Nancy Drew with Edward and Bella, and about learning who Catherine really is. He eyes kept growing wider and wider.

"Well, what now?" she asked.

"Well, I'm gonna hang out with her Friday night."

'WHAT?!" Rose screamed and leapt off the couch. I really wasn't expecting her to react this way.

"What's wrong, Rosie?"

"What's wrong?! What's wrong?!" Her voice was increasingly getting louder. I hate it when she does this. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Bella and Edward were trying to slyly sneak out of the living room. They wouldn't get away that easily.

"Get… back… here," she whispered. I always thought her being quiet was much scarier than her being loud. I watched Edward subtlety nod in agreement. Bella looked terrified.

"Yes, Rosalie?" Edward asked, no trace of fear in his voice.

"Why? Why did you allow him to do this? How could you be so stupid?" She cut him off before he could answer. "Oh yes, I forgot who I was talking to."

I didn't miss the soft growl in Edward's throat, nor the flash of hurt in Bella's face. She knew exactly to what Rosalie was referring to.

"Rose, sweetheart, don't blame this on Bella and Edward. This is all on me."

"I can't count on you to think, Emmett, that's why I was counting on them."

That hurt. How dumb did she think I was? Is this how she always thought of me?

I guess Rosalie realized what she said, because she hurriedly added, "That's not what I meant, Emmett. I'm sorry, that came out wrong."

I wanted to be mad at her, but I couldn't. Lucky for me, however, Bella had no problem being mad at Rose.

"Stop it, Rosalie! Don't you see how hard this is for him? First, he almost kills a girl. Next, he finds out this girl has McCarty blood running through her veins. Now, instead of getting support from the woman he loves, he gets screams and insults! What kind of a person do you think you are?!" Bella's small frame was shaking with anger. I couldn't have been more proud of her than in that very moment. I wasn't the only one that felt that way. Edward moved to her side and gently placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him. Bella's death glare never wavered.

Rose looked shocked, then guilty. She turned to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. I bent slightly and kissed the top of her head. "I know you didn't mean it, Rosie."

She sighed. "I just worry, Emmett. I don't want there to be any… complications."

I was crushed. I wanted so bad to get to know Catherine. I hadn't seen any blood relatives since my change, and I never really thought about it until I learned who Catherine really was. Now there was a hole inside of me that needed to be filled. Alice said she would be important… but how important would she be? I had to know, but I didn't want to upset Rose.

I was just about to resign to the fact that I would never get to know my great-great-great niece, when Rosalie surprised me. "So, what are you guys going to do on Friday?"

I took a second to think about it, but I honestly couldn't come up with any ideas. None of us could think of anything.

As we sat in the living room mulling over ideas of what I should do with Catherine on Friday, Alice came bounding down the stairs with Jasper in tow.

"Have a fun evening?" she asked. She was bouncing in place, which was an obvious sign to all of us that she knew what took place and was only asking out of formality.

"You know we had a good time, Alice. Do you have any ideas for what I should take her to do on Friday?"

"I thought you said not to meddle, Emmett." Her face briefly flashed in seriousness, but it was quickly replaced with that same smile she always wore.

I was about to retort, but she was right. I didn't want my life to be dictated by her visions, or anything else for that matter. This was something I was going to do for myself.

"You're right, Alice. Don't tell me anything. Wait… tell me if I come up with a good idea."

"She'll love it."


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: This is a huge chapter, so I hope you enjoy it. It took me a long time to write because I had so many ideas. It was hard to focus them all! This is the last of the chapters that I have pre-written, so it will take longer in between updates. Never fear, they will all be super long. I really can't help myself! Anyway, enjoy the chapter. Please review and let me know how you think the story is progressing. It's hard to get people to read fics with OC's, so I really appreciate you taking the time to read. Sorry, long A/N. Once again, enjoy!_

Chapter 7

CatPOV

I woke up in the morning feeling miserable. My body ached from the fight, and my head felt like it was the practice area for a marching band. I wasn't the only one feeling that way. Brad woke me up from his moaning and grumbling in the other room.

It took me a minute, but I was able to drag myself out of bed in order to make breakfast for Brad and I. Chance was still asleep when I got up, and I decided not to bother him. He was the only living thing in the world that slept worse than I did.

I walked out of the bedroom and Brad grunted a greeting. I returned it with a smile. "Hungry?" I asked.

He nodded as he lumbered to the bathroom, scratching himself inappropriately.

"Make sure you wash your hands, Nasty!" I received grunted response.

I scoffed and made Brad's favorite breakfast: chorizo (a Mexican sausage) and eggs. He walked out of the bathroom looking halfway human. "Do you think you can take Chance outside while I finish breakfast?"

"Sure, Cat," Brad responded with a gruff, scratchy voice. That voice used to drive all my girl friends crazy. It just made me roll my eyes.

By the time Brad made it back inside, I had finished the chorizo and eggs and was heating up some tortillas.

"Smells great, Catherine"

"Of course it does, who do you think you're talking to?" We shared a laugh and sat down to eat.

The meal was eaten in silence, with the exception of Chance panting and begging for scraps. Brad probably thought I didn't notice him slipping Chance some scraps. "He's gonna get fat if you keep feeding him like that."

Brad looked like a kid that was caught with his hands in the cookie jar. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Catty."

"I see what you're doing. Quit giving him scraps. He doesn't get a ton of exercise in this little apartment so I can't feed him human food."

"Aw come on, he deserves it after all he's been through."

The air grew tense. I knew Brad was inadvertently referring to the fire. I didn't want to talk about it now. Hell, I never want to talk about it. Brad thought otherwise.

"Catty, come home. We miss you. We can help get over all this… this pain that you have."

I smirked. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Brad." I could feel the heat behind my eyes that always comes right before the tears, but I held them back. Brad was always so sensitive to me and my feelings. I didn't want him to see that I was dying on the inside.

"Catherine…" he started.

"NO! Stop right there," my voice surprised me with how cold it was. Maybe it was what Brad would need in order to understand that I meant it.

"Do you know what Christy would say to you right now if she were here? She would tell you that you were being ridiculous. She would tell you to suck it up and stop blaming yourself!"

I slammed my fists on the table, causing it to jump. Chance, always the jumpy one, whined and ran out of the room. "Why can't she be here, Brad? Hmmm? _SHE'S DEAD_! She's dead, and she'll never be anywhere to tell me anything _ever again_!"

Brad's voice grew soft and hesitant. "There's nothing you could have done, Catherine. You need to stop doing this to yourself."

"I should have never let him into my life."

"How were you to know he would take it that far?"

I was silent. Part of me knew that he was right. Who could have foreseen such a thing? _No_. Christy would still be here if it weren't for me. This was my entire fault.

"It should have been me, not her."

Brad shook his head vehemently. He scooted his chair next to me and wrapped his arms around me. I wouldn't allow the tears to fall. He shouldn't be brought into my misery. I patted his arm and thanked him. I was trying to be subtle, but he could tell I was brushing him off.

He gathered the dishes and brought them to the sink. As he silently washed them, I scoured the apartment for Chance. I found him under my bed, refusing to look at me.

"I'm sorry, boy." I slid a bone under the bed towards him. He continued to ignore me. As I walked away, I could hear him grab the bone and begin to gnaw on it. I smiled, knowing that I was forgiven.

Brad was finished with the dishes and watching TV. There was a college game on, and to the untrained eye it would look like he was watching. I knew that he was deep in thought.

"How's Dad?" I asked as I sat down next to him.

"He misses you. He wishes he did more to keep you home. But I know that once you set your mind to something, no one can convince you of otherwise."

I nodded. When Brad turned to look at me, I gave him a weak smile. His eyes were sad and it broke my heart to look at him.

"We all miss you," he added softly.

I was silent. I didn't know how to respond to that. We watched the game in that silence. It was thick, full of things we both wanted to say. When the game was finished, Brad stood up and stretched. When he turned to look at me, he had a bit of the old smile on his face.

"Well, what are you gonna take me to do? I leave early in the morning tomorrow and I've only seen your crappy apartment and one bar in the entire city of Portland." He grabbed my arm and pulled me off the couch.

"You're leaving tomorrow?" I asked with a touch of shock and sadness in my voice.

"Yes ma'am. So let's not spend this time thinking about this and that. Let's paint the town red!"

I giggled and ran into my room to change. I chose clothes based on comfort rather than anything fashion forward. That is one habit I've brought with me from Texas.

We walked all around the city. We visited countless shops and bars. We would drink, then walk around and discover all the culture in the city. When the sky grew dark, we settled in a tiny piano bar. Brad would have never admitted to anyone other than me his fondness for piano music. There were a wide range of performers and acts: blues, jazz, soft rock, etc. We enjoyed the night, and then walked home once the bar closed. Our talk was light, never weighed down by each other's ache. That was what I preferred.

We reached the apartment, and watched a movie before both of us fell asleep on the couch.

The morning came and passed quickly as I helped Brad pack and took him to the airport. His departure was sad, but I was happy to fall back in the little routine I created before he came. I would never tell him, never in a million years, but by having Brad there I could not escape thinking of home and all the horrific memories it held.

I was piddling around the apartment for a few hours before getting ready for my evening with Emmett. I was still confused as to why he wanted to meet, but I figured I could just get it over with and blow him off. It would be for the best, more so for him than me. I just wasn't worth the time and trouble.

I dressed comfortably in a T-shirt, jeans, and an old pair of Converse. I would finish off the outfit with an old hoodie that belonged to Brad. There was nothing particularly attractive about the outfit, so he could not mistake this for a date. I became anxious, wondering exactly the night would bring. I had to think of all my cover stories: why I was there, why I decided to come to an unfamiliar city by myself. I knew he would ask all about my past, and frankly, it was something I didn't want to discuss with my own brother, let alone a complete stranger.

I sat on my couch in the front room, nervously changing through channels. I wasn't really paying attention to anything; it was just something to do to pass the time.

At exactly 7:00, I heard a knock on my front door. The sound of it scared me as it resonated throughout my tiny apartment. Chance came running out of my bedroom, barking his head off.

I shushed him as best I could, and dragged him back into the bedroom. I closed the door to prevent him from trying to rush my guest. I had no idea what Chance's problem was with Emmett, but it was starting to bother me.

I opened the door was immediately greeted with that large goofy smile that never failed to place one of equal caliber on my face.

EmPOV

Catherine opened the door looking like a little boy. She was wearing a sweatshirt that was too big for her, the oldest pair of jeans I have ever seen in my undead life, and sneakers that would send Alice into a frenzy before she dragged this poor girl into a shoe store. I chuckled, because it was obvious this poor girl had too much McCarty in her blood.

I could hear her dog barking in the back room. Animals have never been fond of us, but normally they just stay away. This dog had it out for me. He would do anything to protect this girl; including attacking a predator he has no chance against. It made me feel a little better about her being alone in the city.

"You ready, Catherine?"

She nodded as she grabbed a slim, black wallet and placed it into her back pocket. She was not a purse kind of girl. She closed the door behind us, locked it, and joined me at the bottom of her stairs.

We walked together at a leisurely pace to the city. "Are you hungry?" I asked her.

"Starved. How about you?"

I feigned shame and answered, "I ate right before I left, but we can grab something to eat. What do you want?"

She didn't even hesitate in her answer. "There's this place up the street that has pizza and beer. I've heard good things about it."

I laughed and gestured for her to lead the way. As we walked, we exchanged casual conversation. She was quick to laugh, which made me happy. She reminded me of a woman in my human life, I'm not sure if she was an aunt or a cousin, but I remember her laugh vividly. It used to fill the entire house, and she laughed often. It was boisterous, almost inappropriate, but I admired her for it. She never tried to cover up her laugh for fear that she wouldn't get a man. She was always just her.

When we reached the pizza bar, it was jam-packed full of college students. Catherine and I chose one of the last tables available, a little two-seater in the corner of the restaurant. It took a little while for service, but Catherine didn't seem to mind. She was studying the menu intensely.

"What are you gonna get?"

"An alfredo pizza," she smiled triumphantly as she set down the menu. A lanky boy of about 18 finally came over to our table. He seemed nervous, but when Catherine teased him he seemed to lighten up a bit.

"What can I get for you tonight, ma'am?"

"It's Catherine, and I would like an alfredo pizza with chicken, spinach, onions, mushrooms, and bacon. Also, do you have Shiner Bach on tap?"

He looked at her with frightened eyes. It seems he had never heard of the beer before. He answered nervously, "No, ma'am… I mean, Catherine."

She chuckled loudly, and once again it calmed the kid down a bit. "That's fine. Miller Lite, please. The biggest glass you have."

The kid rushed off, happy to be away from the situation. "Poor guy, I think he's about to wet his pants," I said.

"He's just nervous," she said, waving her hands in dismissal. I couldn't help but compare her to the family I had in my human life. Her laid back nature reminded me so much of my mother.

Things became awkwardly quiet. I saw Catherine looking around the room, as if searching for a topic of conversation. I decided it was going to have to be up to me.

"What's Shiner Bach?"

She looked at me incredulously. "Only the best fucking beer you will ever have!" She covered her mouth and I could see a smile in her eyes. "Pardon the language. I picked it up from my brother and dad."

"Did you grow up only with your brother and dad?"

She nodded, "My mom died when I was really little. She had cancer while she was pregnant with me, but no one knew because the pregnancy masked the symptoms of the cancer. By the time they figured out she was sick, it was too late to do anything."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

She waved her hand as if she was waving off my sympathy. Our server came back and placed an enormous beer in front of Catherine. It smelled revolting and inviting at the same time. Catherine's eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store. She placed her hands around the giant glass, and tipped it into her mouth. She took three large gulps and set it down, exhaling happily.

I laughed at how little it took to make her happy. She grinned at me. "I love beer. It must be a Texan thing."

"What part of Texas are you from?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation rolling. She sure was making it hard on me.

"I'm from a little town called Rockwall. My dad owned a ranch that my brother and I would work on. Well, my brother did most of the work. He's a lot stronger than me. I mostly tended to household stuff, but I was never afraid to do any of the 'big boy' stuff." She laughed as she continued. "I drive a mean tractor."

I tried to imagine her on a tractor with a straw hat and overalls on. The mental picture came easily and I let out a laugh.

"My brother is from Texas," I informed her after my laughter died down a little.

"Edward? What part?" she asked, honest in her curiosity.

"Oh, no, I meant my brother Jasper. He was born in Houston, but he's familiar with Dallas and Galveston as well."

"Houston has the worst traffic _ever_!" she said, rolling her eyes. I couldn't help but laugh.

"How big is your family?"

"Pretty big," I answered. "You should come meet them sometime. I know Bella would love to have you over. She's a pretty big book nerd. Jasper is too, but he's not a big Jane Austin fan."

Catherine smiled. "I'd like that." Right after she uttered the words, however, the expression on her face looked like she regretted it.

I looked at her confused, but she didn't say anything. I shook it off and continued, "So, what would you like to do after this?"

She was about to answer, when our server came and set down an enormous pizza in front of Catherine. "Enjoy," he muttered, his voice cracking slightly.

Catherine dug into her pizza like she had never eaten before. It's been a while since I've had human food, but I'm pretty sure even I couldn't pile it in faster than her. As she started working on her third slice, I had to laugh.

"What's so funny?" she asked with a mouth full of pizza. It only made me laugh harder. Her ears started to turn a little red, but I couldn't tell if she was embarrassed or angry.

"Please don't choke," I said in between bouts of laughter. "I don't know the Heimlich."

She frowned and placed her slice down. She picked up her napkin and quietly wiped her mouth. When she was finished, she set it down, and then pulled her fierce blue eyes into my gaze.

"Emmett, now I know we haven't know each other for a long time, but I'm about to let you in on a little secret. I've been wolfing down pizza for as long as I've had a brother and a father, because if I wasn't fast enough, it would all be gone and I would go to bed hungry. Consider me a pro when it comes to eating. Now, if you don't mind, you are ruining my flow."

I stared at her with my mouth open. She calmly picked up her slice of pizza and resumed eating. She was eating a little slower, however. I smiled as I watched her eat. She became self-conscious and looked at me.

"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?"

I shook my head. "I'm a vegetarian."

"They have veggie pizzas." She gave me a look that screamed, _Duh, retard_!

"Now what kind of vegetarian would I be if I gave my hard earned money to a facility that supported the murdering of animals?" I would have to thank Edward for that line.

She stared at me with her eyebrows furrowed. "You are a strange character, Emmett Cullen. Just when I think I have you figured out, you say something to surprise me."

"Well, I'm all out of surprises," I said. She smiled, and finished her last slice of pizza. She chugged the rest of her beer, sat back in her chair, and let out the longest most disgusting burp I had ever heard. I couldn't have been prouder.

"Bravo!" I yelled, clapping my hands. She got out of her chair and took a bow. People were staring, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Come on," she said. She threw down some money on the table. I picked it up and handed it back to her.

"It's on me," I said, throwing down some cash. She opened her mouth to protest, hell, she was probably about to yell at me. I held up my hand and gave her my serious face. "It's on me," I repeated, slower this time. She closed her mouth, a sure sign of resignation. I smiled and led her outside.

"Where now?" I asked. She shrugged, not saying anything. I rolled my eyes, and we just kept walked. The night was a little cold, but not too uncomfortable. Well, nothing's uncomfortable to me, but I could tell that Catherine was feeling too chilled. We walked to a park and sat on a bench.

"Tell me more about your dad and brother." I was anxious to hear more about this family that I would never get the chance to know.

If I let her, she would have talked about them for hours. Her family was small, just her and her brother and father. All of the extended family was spread out and never bothered to get to know them. But they liked it that way. They were close, much closer than families seem to be in this day and time. It made me happy to know that.

She also told me about the kind of life she had in Texas. She told me about the small town she grew up in, but moved into a suburb of Dallas to attend community college. When I asked her, why she moved to Portland, she stuttered, saying that she needed a change of scenery. I accepted her answer, thinking nothing of it.

"What's up with Chance? Is he always so…" I couldn't find the word to finish it.

"Protective?" she offered. I nodded; it seemed like the appropriate word. "It's a new thing with him," she started, but then stopped. She looked like she was trying very hard to choose her next words.

"Catherine?" I asked. She turned to me, still unsure how to proceed. "Catherine, it's okay. Whatever it is, you can tell me. Chances are, I'll probably forget whatever it is you tell me, so there's no possibility of me telling anyone." I worked up the biggest grin I could muster. It seemed to do the trick.

She giggled, her face brightening the smallest amount. And she began.

"Back in Texas, I lived with my best friend while we went to the same community college. We had a two bedroom apartment together with Chance. It was small, but nice. Chance was Christy's dog, but I always treated him like he was my own. I just never had to worry about vet bills," she said, chuckling. She continued, "One night, there was a fire." She closed her eyes, and I thought she wouldn't go on with her story. She surprised me by taking a deep breath and started to speak again. "The fire was enormous. It only took it a short amount of time before it engulfed the entire floor. I wasn't home at the time, I was lucky. Christy, however…" Her voice hitched in her throat, and I understood. I could tell she was trying not to cry. I looked away from her, giving her the privacy that she needed.

"How did Chance make it out?" I asked.

She smiled slightly, but I knew there was no happiness behind it. "No one's really sure. When I reached the apartment, I was stopped by a firefighter. They wouldn't let me pass. I called for Christy and Chance. I don't know how, but when he heard me call him, Chance ran out of the flames. He was burnt, but he survived. It's nothing short of miraculous."

I didn't know what to say. This girl had been through so much. I couldn't even begin to try to understand the depths of her situation. I told her so.

"Don't worry about it, Emmett," she said, waving her hand. She seemed to do that a lot. Didn't my sister do that? "It's weird to talk about it with someone. I came here to be alone, you know?" She swung her legs on the bench and looked at the ground.

I wrapped my arm around her. She stiffened, and I immediately pulled my arm off of her. "Sorry," I said. "It's just a knee-jerk reaction. I can't help myself when someone is sad. I have to make it better."

She turned her head and smiled. She nodded her head slightly, and I took that as permission. I threw my arms around her, stood up, and swung her around. She was laughing, and it made my heart swell.

I put her down and patted her head. She scrunched her nose in mock anger then giggled.

"Come on, let's get you home," I said. The walk back to her apartment was nice. She told me more about her life in Texas. It saddened me that she was so far away from her family. Well, the family that she knew.

I resolved to myself that I would do whatever it takes to take care of her. She shouldn't be by herself in a place she is unfamiliar with. I would be her protector, a big brother of sorts. Bella always told me that I was the big brother that she always wanted but never had. Maybe that's what I can be for Catherine.

When we reached her apartment, I bid her a good night.

"When can we hang out again?" I asked. I gave her my best puppy dog eyes. They always seemed to work on Rose.

I could practically see the wheels in her brain turning. I didn't want to give her the chance to tell me no. "Come on, I'll take you to meet my family," I pleaded, laying the puppy dog eyes on thick.

"Okay," she surrendered. "How is Sunday?"

"Perfect. Everyone should be home."

She shook her head, an obvious sign that she was disappointed in the decision she just made. I plastered a ridiculous, even for me, grin on my face. She opened her door, and walked inside. I could hear the locks clicking as she turned them into place.

When I got home, everyone was in the front room waiting for me. No sooner that I stepped into the house did I get overwhelmed with questions. The only person I wanted to see was sitting down on the couch silently.

"How did it go?" Rose asked softly.

"It went well," I answered. By this time, the rest of my family joined us on the various couches in the front room.

"What's she like?" Rose still wasn't looking me in the eye. I worried that she was upset with me for something.

"Are you upset, Rosie?" I would do anything in my power to make her feel better.

Rose finally met my gaze. I instantly recognized the apology written in her features. I gave her a big grin and wrapped my arms around her. _All is forgiven_, my embrace told her.

I spent that majority of the evening telling my family about Catherine. They were all really interested in hearing about it, especially Carlisle. He's always such a nerd about these kinds of things.

I told them about Sunday, and Esme got super excited. It had been a little while since she had the opportunity to entertain a human. I'm beginning to think it's becoming one of her favorite pastimes.

When I was done telling all I had to tell, Rose and I retired to our bedroom. I felt bad, like I had been neglecting her. I spent the whole evening treating her like the angel she was.

After another amazing evening, I told Rose how excited I was for her to meet Catherine. She promised to be on her best behavior. I chuckled and pulled her close to me.

Everything is perfect. What could go wrong?


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

CatPOV

I must be the biggest fucking idiot in the entire world. _Why did I say yes_? I promised myself that I would just see him the one time and then blow him off. Where do I get off wanting to meet his family?! Am I crazy? Have I already forgotten everything that's happened?

I lied down on my bed and stared at the ceiling. I was vaguely aware of Chance slowly crawling up the bed and lying down next to me. My eyes were drifting shut, but I was not falling asleep. I was simply remembering.

_It was the first day of college. I was lost, unable to find my algebra class. I was looking at my map, not paying attention, when I bumped into a human form. I looked up, embarrassed, only to be met by the most gorgeous eyes I had ever seen. For the first time in my life, I had nothing to say. I only stared. The figure smiled at me. _

"_Hello," he said in a deep and seductive voice. "I'm Scott."_

_XXXXXXXX_

"_Scott," I whispered, tentatively. We had only been dating for a few months, but I knew my feelings were strong._

_He turned to me, his face not showing any anger, but still had a hard edge to it. I don't know why it drew me in so much._

"_Yes, Catherine?" He eyes were inquisitive, but also expecting. It was almost like he knew what I would say before I did._

"_I love you."_

_XXXXXXXX_

_I walked into my apartment, looking at the ground. I hoped so badly that I would walk in unnoticed. As luck would have it, however, Christy was sitting in the living room._

"_What the hell happened?!" she screamed, jumping off the couch and running towards me. Chance was running behind her. He was always by her side._

_She approached me and tentatively touched my cheek, which was swollen. Her fingers lightly ran over my bottom lip, which still hadn't stopped bleeding. _

"_It was my fault," I said. There was no use in lying to her. She wasn't stupid. I had been coming home like this every other week for the past two months._

"_You need to leave him," she said, her voice hard. She never spoke like that before I met Scott. Now, it was the only way I ever heard her voice. _

"_I love him, Christy. And he loves me too."_

_Christy walked into the kitchen. She came out with ice wrapped in a towel. She led me to the living room and sat me down on the couch. She held the towel gently to my lip. I winced at the contact._

"_Love shouldn't leave you bleeding," she said softly._

_XXXXXXXX_

_Scott raised his hand to me, but my resolve didn't shake. I didn't have to stand for this anymore._

"_I'm done, god dammit!" I said, screaming in his face. "You will never hurt me ever again!"_

_He lunged at me, but I was too quick. I moved to the other side of the room._

"_You can't leave me, Catherine!" he shouted. He moved so that his body was blocking the door, my only way out. _

"_You don't own me," I said, my voice low. I tried to cover up the fear, but I don't think I could. "Hit me again, and I'll call the cops."_

"_Christy put you up to this?" he asked. He eyes narrowed with rage. "I knew that bitch would try to come between us. Can't she just see how much I love you? We're meant to be, Catherine."_

"_She sees how much you love me," I said, pointing to the fading bruises on my face. "I'm leaving."_

_I tried to walk past him and out the door. He grabbed my arm roughly, making me cry out in pain._

_I turned to him, and all the things my dad and brother taught me flooded my mind. I dug my nails into his hand, forcing him to let me go. I swiftly kicked him in the groin. When he fell to his knees, I ran out the front door. _

_The entire way home, I prayed. I hadn't prayed in years. There was no reason to pray before this._

_XXXXXXXX_

_I grabbed my keys. I was just going to go to the grocery store to pick up something to eat for Christy and me. I had basically been kissing her ass for the past few days. I would do anything so long as I didn't have to hear the "I told you so."_

"_I'll be back in a little while, Christy. You still want steak and potatoes for dinner?"_

"_Hell yeah!" she said, her smile practically overtaking her face. "See you in a sec."_

"_Bye!" I yelled, closing the door behind me._

_XXXXXXXX_

_My face was still unbelieving as I watched the fire overtake the apartment._

_XXXXXXXX_

_I was sitting in the back of the police vehicle. I didn't even notice the police officer approach me._

"_Miss McCarty?" he asked._

"_Yes?" I looked at him, waiting for the answers. No one had told me yet how the fire started or if Catherine was okay. I saw the fire, how it completely engulfed my apartment. But Chance made it out alive. Was it so bad to hope that Christy would too?_

"_There are two bodies. One has already been identified as your roommate, Christy Sullivan. The other body, however, is an unidentified male. We were hoping you could take a look and put a name to the face."_

_I nodded. My stomach dropped with dread. Please God, don't let it be him._

_He led me over to a body that was covered with a sheet. He pulled back the sheet, only revealing the man's face._

_I took a glance then turned away, my worst fears confirmed. "His name is Scott."_

_I vomited until I lost consciousness. _

_XXXXXXXX_

"_We found a note, Miss McCarty," the attorney told me. I could hardly hear him, like he was talking to me from the other side of a pane of glass._

"_Note?" I asked, shaking my head. "What note?"_

"_It's a note from Scott. A suicide note," he finished. "It said…" I held up my hand, trying hard not to let the tears fall from my eyes._

"_I don't want to know."_

_XXXXXXXX_

"_Don't leave."_

_I turned and looked at Brad. I hated to see the pain in his face._

"_I have to leave," I said. "I can't be here. There's just too much pain, too many memories. I miss her so bad, Brad. And it's all my fault that she's gone."_

_He walked towards me, his arms slightly open._

_I ran away._

_XXXXXXXX_

I opened my eyes and wiped the tears from my face. Chance, sensing my sadness, drew closer to me. He dragged his warm tongue over the palm of my hand.

"Gross," I muttered, wiping his slobber onto my shirt.

I stretched and pulled myself off the bed. I grabbed Chance's leash which hung next to the front door. When he heard the familiar jingle, Chance jumped off the bed and ran towards me. His tail was spinning rapidly in circles. I laughed and threw the collar of his leash over his head.

I don't know how long I walked with Chance. I do know, however, that he may have peed on every single tree, pole and fire hydrant in a five mile radius of my apartment.

My thoughts were consumed with my confusion. I couldn't help but analyze over every single moment Emmett and I had together. It wasn't love, or even a crush. I didn't have a single romantic feeling for the guy. And, I'm pretty positive he felt the same.

So… why was I acting the way I was? Why did I act like I've known him my entire life?

I shook my head as if I was trying to shake the answers loose. Maybe he reminded me of Brad. It's true; they do act a lot alike. Maybe it was my brotherly feelings that I had towards him that caused me to open up to him.

By the time we got back to the apartment, both Chance and I were dragging ass. I was so tired; I felt like I could sleep until Sunday.

EmPOV

I was super excited about today. Today is the day that Catherine gets to meet my family! And vice-versa, of course.

Esme has been restless. She was running back and forth between the kitchen, where she was cooking… something, and the rest of the house, where she was cleaning. I could tell she was frazzled, but I could also see the small smile on her face. She loved this.

The rest of my family was relatively calm. I'm pretty sure it had something to do with Jasper.

"You gonna be cool, dude?" I asked Jasper. I hated that I had to ask, but I couldn't risk him trying to eat my niece.

Jasper turned to Alice, asking her with his eyes.

"You won't hurt her, Jasper," she said, her voice tinkling with anticipation. I rolled my eyes. _When have I heard that before_?

Edward scowled then smiled at me. His grip on Bella's hand tightened a little bit. She turned to him and smiled.

"Excited, Emmett?" Bella asked, trying to hide her smile. She failed.

"Yeah. I know you and Edward have met her, but I'm still really excited to have her meet the rest of us."

I glanced at the clock. I called Catherine yesterday and told her I would pick her up at noon. The clock read 11:45. Normally, it would take about 45 minutes to get from her apartment to our house, but my driving was anything but normal. I would have to argue that my driving is awesome.

I hopped in my Jeep and turned the stereo on. I was flipping through all the music before I found something I was happy with. It was a heavy rock song I wasn't familiar with. But it had a good sound, so I couldn't complain.

I was racing down the road. I couldn't wait for Catherine to meet my family. I couldn't quite place a finger on why it was so important to me. Maybe it's because my past and my present are coming together for a new future. Does that even make sense? I don't know.

I reached Catherine's apartment exactly at noon. I knocked on the door, her dog, Chance, was growling and barking his head off.

Okay, I know that dog/vampire relationships are strained, for obvious reasons, but geez. That dog hates my guts! I can only take comfort in the fact that he would do anything for Catherine. I know he's keeping her safe.

The door opened swiftly and Catherine stepped outside. I noticed something shiny in her hand.

"What's that?" I asked, reaching for the object in her hand.

She pulled her hand away from me then held the object up. "They're the keys to my car. I'm driving today."

I shook my head. "No way, Jose. I'm driving. I can't trust you to not kill me." I smiled a little at my joke; there's no way I could ever die in a car accident.

She looked at me with defiance in her eye. It was a pretty pathetic attempt at defiance, but nonetheless, it was effective. I couldn't stand to not give her what she wanted, not after all that she's been through.

I glanced around; trying to guess which car was hers. I saw a truck and started walking towards it. She's a Texan, don't all Texans drive trucks?

"Where are you going?" she asked. She started walking towards a small Honda Civic.

"You drive _that_?!" I asked. There is no way I'm going to be able to sit in that thing and be comfortable.

"Yes, this is my baby," she said, running her hand over the hood. She opened her door, slid in then unlocked mine.

I opened my door, but instead of getting in, I looked at her incredulously. "You expect me to fit? I can't fit in here?"

"Oh, please, get in the car," she said, rolling her eyes. Hold on just a moment… yep, it still irritates me like it did when my little sister did it. Glad to know some things don't change.

I got into the car, grumbling the entire time. She looked at me with a smile in her eyes. "Thanks. I haven't really been able to drive since I've been here. I miss it."

"Well, enjoy the ride. We are quite a ways outside of town."

She smiled at that bit of information. When she turned the key in her ignition, it roared to life. I mean, it roared!

"Whoa, lady! What's up with the engine of your car?" I asked, bewildered.

"Brad and I fixed it up a little," she said with a sly smile on her face.

We drove for a few minutes in silence. Honestly, I was disappointed. Catherine was driving the speed limit, which to me was achingly slow. What was the point of a badass car without taking advantage of it?

I tried taking in the scenery. We were taking the back roads to the house. It was really the only way to get there. We were on a two lane highway that was practically deserted. I'm sure it wasn't even on most maps. The scenery wasn't doing much to distract me.

"I want to get there today, Grandma," I said. I looked at Catherine who was rolling her eyes. Then, I saw a change. A smile spread across her face, but this was no ordinary smile. It was the smile I usually donned when I came up with a great way to prank Edward or Jasper.

"Grandma, huh? Would your grandma drive like this?"

Catherine threw her car into gear and slammed down the pedal. The engine roared and leapt forward. The speedometer climbed faster and faster. Catherine leaned over to her stereo and turned on some music. It was some obscure punk band, loud and fast. I didn't pay it any attention. All I could think about was how exhilarating the experience was. I leaned my head out the window.

"WHOO!!!" I shouted, pumping my fist in the air. I could hear Catherine laughing next to me. It was a laugh I had never heard from her before. It was dripping with happiness and excitement.

Catherine didn't let up on the gas. Our rate of speed was climbing. The only people I ever knew to drive this fast were vampires. Normally, I couldn't trust a human to drive this fast, but I figured if something were to happen, I would have the reflexes to stop it.

A slow moving truck appeared around the corner of the bend in the road. I thought Catherine was going to hit him. Right as she was about to slam into the rear, she swerved away and around him. Her reflexes were amazing.

"Where did you learn to drive like this?" I shouted over the noise.

"My brother, of course. What else is there to do out in the country?!" she shouted next to me.

I saw the entrance to the road that led up to our house. I pointed towards it and Catherine made a hairpin turn down the road. The road was narrow and had many curves. But, she still didn't slow down. We were flying down the road, the entire time we were laughing and hollering.

As we neared the house, the road opened up to a large concrete area. In front of the house were Rose's M3 and Edward's Volvo. The rest of the cars were in the garage. As soon as we reached the open area, Catherine slammed on her brakes and turned her wheel hard left, causing the car to go into a spin.

The car spun and I was sure we were going to hit Rose's car. My family was already outside the house, watching us. I could see Rose's and Edward's eyes widen at the sight. I was already prepared for impact, when the car stopped. We were perfectly parked next to the M3.

Catherine threw open her car door and started laughing. I got out of the car and stood next to her, unable to control my own laughter. When we were finally composed, we beamed at each other.

"How's that for Grandma driving?" Catherine asked with her amusement still evident in her eyes.

"You are just full of surprises, McCarty," I said, throwing my arm around her shoulder and tussling her hair.

My family approached us. Most of them had amused looks on their faces. Rose and Edward, however, appeared quite livid. They didn't say anything, but Catherine could tell they were angry.

"Edward, I wouldn't have hit your car in a million years. I'm sorry to have worried you. I was just having a little fun with Emmett," Catherine said, trying her best to defuse the situation.

Edward's face softened a little bit. "It's okay, Catherine. Just… don't do it again."

She continued to smile at him until he smiled back at her. When she finally saw his smile, she playfully punched him on the arm.

"No one can resist the McCarty charm," she said.

"Apparently not," he said in return. Bella laughed and leaned her body towards him. He kissed the top of her head, still smiling.

The group fell a little silent. My eyebrows furrowed and I looked at Catherine. She looked at me expectantly.

"What?" I asked her.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your family?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, sorry," I said, a little embarrassed. I saw Jasper glance at me out the corner of my eye. I scowled at the smile on his face.

"Catherine, these are my parents, Carlisle and Esme." They stepped forward. Carlisle held out his hand and Catherine shook it. Esme pulled her into a hug, which surprised Catherine. She let out a small laugh then hugged her back.

"Stop it, Mom," I said with mock humiliation in my voice. Esme laughed and the pulled back. "You know my brother and sister, Bella." They waved at Catherine and she waved back.

"This is my other brother and sister, Jasper and Alice," I said. Alice danced towards Catherine, causing her to laugh.

"It's nice to meet you," Alice said, giving her a small kiss on the cheek.

"It's nice to meet you too, Alice," Catherine answered. She was rubbing the back of her neck and had a half-smile on her face. "You sure are affectionate."

Alice giggled and took her place next to Jasper. Catherine looked at Jasper and held out her hand.

"You must be the one from Texas," she said.

Jasper shook her hand quickly. "Yes, ma'am," he said, his Southern drawl just a little more prominent than usual. He had a small grimace on his face. It must be due to his lack of control. I shot him a look that said, _Eat her and I will kill you_.

I walked up to Rosalie, who was hanging in the back of the group. I pulled her forward, my hand intertwined with hers. Catherine looked at her and our hands with curiosity.

"Catherine, this is my wife, Rosalie," I said, giving Rose a small kiss on the cheek.

Catherine's eyes widened momentarily. She looked like she was in a panic. I looked at Edward, who had an odd look on his face.

Rosalie gazed at Catherine expectantly. Catherine shook her head and then planted a smile on her face. It was the fakest one I had ever seen from her.

"It's nice to meet you, Rosalie. Emmett has told me a lot about you," she said, holding out her hand.

Rosalie took her hand tentatively and spoke, "It's nice to meet you as well."

The group grew a little silent as Catherine continued to stare at Rosalie. Esme, sensing the strange atmosphere spoke.

"Come inside, Catherine. I made some brisket and barbecue ribs. I figured it would remind you of home."

Catherine gave her a warm smile. "That's really sweet of you. Thanks."

We all walked inside together. I tried to throw my arm around Catherine, but she dodged it. She refused to meet me gaze. What the hell is going on?

I tried to walk inside with the rest of them, but Edward pulled me back.

"Hey—"I started.

"Why is Catherine freaking out about Rose?" he asked, speaking at vampire speed.

"I don't know," I said. I was trying to think of a reason, but I couldn't. "What is she thinking?"

"Her thoughts are racing. She keeps picturing some angry looking guy and chanting in her head things like, 'I'm an idiot' and 'They're all the same, I can't believe he didn't tell me.' Did you not tell her about Rosalie?"

I thought back to all the conversations we had. "I can't remember," I said honestly.

"Well, she didn't know you are married and for whatever reason, it's making her a little crazy," he said.

"She's not crazy, Edward!" I near shouted. Edward shushed me and sent me a dirty look.

"Jasper," I whispered. I could hear Jasper excuse himself and walk towards us. When he arrived, he cocked his head towards me.

"You need to be quieter," he said. "It's by some crazy miracle that she didn't hear you. Now, what do you want?"

"I want to know how she's feeling. Is she crazy, like Edward said?" My voice sounded worried.

"She's not crazy," he said, relieving my fears. "However, there's something… I don't know, strange about her. Every one of her emotions is appropriate. She was elated while driving, embarrassed when Alice kissed her, surprised and panicked when she met Rosalie. But there is this underlying… ache in her. She's constantly carrying around this intense emotional pain. It's quite crippling for me, actually."

Now I definitely couldn't hide the worry in my voice. "I know she's been through some rough stuff. I don't know… sometimes I feel like she hasn't told me the entire story. I don't know what to do guys."

Jasper and Edward shrugged. Suddenly, there was a clatter from the kitchen.

_I'm sorry, I have to go_. I heard Catherine say from the kitchen. She rushed out of the house and headed towards her car.

"Wait!" I said, running after her. "Where are you going?"

"I'm sorry, Emmett. I truly am. Have Edward or someone drive you back to get your car. I have to get out of here," Catherine said, her voice high and unstable. She sounded like she was about to snap.

I tried to say something else, but she climbed in her car and slammed the door shut. She started her car and took off like a bat out of hell. I could hear the car's engine taking her farther and farther away from me.

"What the hell happened?!" I screamed turning towards my family. Esme, Carlisle, Bella, and Rosalie had the same look of shock on their face as I did. Jasper was practically crumpled over with pain. Alice's eyes were glazed over; she was having a vision.

"Oh my God, we have to stop her," Edward said, running after Catherine. I was running next to him.

"What's going on, Edward, what did you see?"

"Emmett, Catherine is going to die."


	9. Chapter 9

AN: I'm sorry this is so short, but it seemed inappropriate to try and make it longer. It would just make it sound bad if I tried to force it. Nevertheless, this is a big chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it. Leave me comments, telling me what you like, don't like, favorite lines, etc. I just like to hear from you.

Chapter 9

Cat POV

Ohgodohgodohgodohgodohgod

I was trying hard not to panic. I was standing in the Cullen kitchen with Carlisle, Esme, Bella, and… Rosalie. Emmett's wife, Rosalie. He had never mentioned her to me before. How could you forget to mention a little thing like your _wife_?

I wasn't in love with Emmett. Not even close. But how could I trust someone to omit a fact like that? It shouldn't matter. _But, it does matter_.

_He's just like all the others. How could you be so stupid as to let your guard down? _My mind's voice was cruel and ugly. But, it was right.

I was trying hard to pay attention to the things Esme and Bella were saying to me, but it was hard to listen to them and concentrate on my breathing at the same time.

"Are you alright?" Rosalie asked me. I stared into her big, golden eyes. I studied her gorgeous features. She had stunning blonde hair that ran down her back in waves. Her figure was perfect. Her face was that of an angel's. I suddenly felt sick.

I tried to grab on to the counter to steady myself, but instead I knocked over a dish of food. It clattered to the floor and broke. "I'm sorry, I have to go," I said hurriedly.

I couldn't have gotten out of that kitchen any faster. As I rushed to my car, I ran past Emmett.

Wait!" he said, running behind me. "Where are you going?"

"I'm sorry, Emmett. I truly am. Have Edward or someone drive you back to get your car. I have to get out of here," I said, my voice giving away how I was feeling.

I hopped inside my car and sped away. Any other time, I wouldn't have ever driven that fast. It was dangerous, even for me. At that point in time, however, I wasn't well. My thoughts were racing.

_Idiot, idiot, idiot. How do you expect to make it the rest of your life without making the same mistake again when you can't even make it a year?!_

I couldn't stop the hot, fat tears from pouring down my face. Never before had I felt like I had absolutely no control. No one could ruin their own life faster than me. Why should I even bother?

_Yeah, why should you even bother?_

I had no answer for myself. About 100 yards ahead of me, there was a sharp, left turn. So, I made a decision.

I pressed the gas pedal all the way to the floor. My engine growled and took me faster, faster.

I unbuckled my seat belt and let it fly away from my body. The sound of it snapping against the door next to my ear was loud in its finality. I stared at the trees in front of me, their trunks thick and ominous, coming closer, closer.

I looked in my rearview mirror and swore I saw Emmett running behind me, shouting my name. _I must be really losing it_.

The second before impact, I felt my body relax. The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could even think about them. A tiny smile spread across my lips.

"See you in a sec, Christy."

EmPOV

It is well known throughout our family that Edward is the fastest runner. Even when Bella was a newborn, she couldn't always beat him. Today, however, proved to be the exception.

I pulled and pushed the muscles in my legs to their limits. Were I human, the soft tissue would have ripped from the bone. I ignored the faint burn building in my limbs. I had to reach Catherine. I just found her. I can't lose her now.

I should have stopped her. I could see that she was unfit to drive. How could I be so dumb as to let her drive away?

Her car was heading straight towards a tree. I saw her unbuckle her seatbelt. _She wants to die_. My determination to save her strengthened.

I saw her glance in the rearview mirror. For a split second, she looked directly into my eyes. I screamed her name, but she looked away. I saw her lips moving, but couldn't make out what she was saying.

With vampire vision, sometimes things look as if they are happening in slow motion. It could be good in some cases, like when you're hunting. But when you're watching someone die, it's the worst thing in the world.

My fingers barely grazed the bumper of her car when the impact occurred. Catherine's body flew out of the windshield and was thrown against violently against a tree. There was a sickening _crack_ and then her body fell to the damp, cold ground.

I let out an inhuman cry as I rushed to her side. My family was beside me in a blink of an eye. Jasper understandably stood a few feet back, holding his breath.

There was blood everywhere. I was so distraught that it didn't even seem to affect me. There were bits of bone protruding through her skin. Her face was barely recognizable, with scrapes and cuts running down her features.

I kneeled over her body, examining her wounds. I held my ear to her chest, hoping to her any flicker of life. There was nothing.

"Oh God, Catherine," I whispered. I gently cradled her head into my lap and sobbed. At that moment, I didn't care what my family thought of me. I didn't care that I was openly displaying weakness.

Rosalie laid her hand gently on my shoulder. "Its okay, Emmett," she said, regarding my sobs. She knows me better than anyone else in the world.

"What happened, Rosie?" I asked, begging for answers.

"I don't know, Emmett," she said, honestly.

Carlisle walked to my other side. He knelt down and inspected Catherine's lifeless body. He shook his head, confirming what I already knew.

I lowered my lips to Catherine's forehead and kissed her. "I'm gonna miss you, kiddo," I whispered.

What happened next could only be classified as a miracle. I'm willing to bet my undead life on it. A quiet, almost imperceptible thud rumbled in Catherine's chest.

My family and I gasped at the turn of events. I thought Carlisle's eyes were going to bug out of his head. I would have cracked a joke were it any other situation.

I knew what I had to do. There wasn't any time to waste. I know that, ideally, I would have had time to think this through, to prepare myself. But, who knew how long Catherine's frail heart would keep beating? It was a miracle that it still could. I had to act on that miracle.

Faster than a human could blink, I bit Catherine's neck.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

CatPOV

Being an English Lit major, I understand the importance of the written word. There is so much power in a thought that is translated on to paper. You can change minds with the written word. You can touch souls with the written word. You can kill with the written word. With this understanding, I'm going to attempt to convey the pain that I went through.

This wasn't Hell. Hell would be a piece of cake compared to this. The fires of Hell would feel like a warm bath compared to the inferno that ran through my veins. The fire didn't lick my nerves. Its rabid teeth chomped and bit and gnawed until my nerves were begging for death. Get the picture?

My throat was raw from screaming. I tried to writhe and twist in my misery, but something was holding me still. I could hear the whispers of ghosts around me, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I wouldn't matter. Words wouldn't be able to douse these flames. They didn't have that much power.

All I could do while I was in my misery was think. My mind raced over all my best memories. They were the only comfort in these flames. I thought about Christy and all the times we got into trouble. I wouldn't trade those times for the world. I thought about Brad and his never ending smiles and laughs. I thought about my father who would be so disappointed in me. He held inner strength in the highest regard, and it would kill him to know that I took my own life. I tried to hold back my tears at the thought, but they betrayed me and spilled down my face.

At some point during my stay in the flames, they took on a different feeling. Don't get me wrong, they still held a pain that is incomparable to any other, but they began to feel almost… appropriate. They felt like they were supposed to be there, that they would always be there. It scared me, but also intrigued me. They felt like they were a part of me that I was never aware of, but now they had birthed a new part of my life.

The pain began to wane after an immeasurable amount of time. It slowly started to die in my fingertips, then my fingers. It began to disappear from my toes and feet. The sweet relief spread up my limbs, then moved to my torso. The pain kept drifting and drifting until the fire was contained in my chest.

My heart felt like a jackhammer that was bursting through my chest. I had a fleeting image in my mind of the movie Alien where the baby alien burst out of that guys chest. I could empathize with him. My heart and my breathing increased more and more until I thought I couldn't take it.

Then, they stopped.

I opened my eyes and studied my surroundings. Everything was so clear, so precise. I could see the specks of dust floating through the air. I could see cracks and imperfections along the wall. I could see the individual colors of the sunrays that peaked their way through the curtains.

I was lying on a bed in a large room that was filled to the brim with books. I inhaled deeply, savoring the smell of the books. The smell was sharper than it had ever been before. There were also new smells, like dust and warmth. It was a very odd sensation, and I found myself feeling overwhelmed.

_Where am I?_ I thought.

"You're in our study," a voice said, answering my thoughts.

I turned and was met by the face of the last person I ever thought I would see. "Edward?" I asked cautiously.

"Yes, Catherine." His face looked solemn, as if he were looking at a dead person. _Wait…_

"How did I get here? How am I alive?" I asked the second question more to myself. My memories were kind of fuzzy. It was almost as if they happened years and years ago instead of just a few days. I faintly remembered leaving the Cullen house in anger, and then purposely running my car into the tree.

"Catherine, there is something we need to tell you. I will need you to stay calm and we will answer all of your questions."

"We?" I asked, looking around. There was no one else in the study.

"Yes, my family and I. I wanted to be the only one here when you woke up so that I could… guess your state of mind."

I looked at him inquisitively, but he ignored me. I made a mental note that I would inquire further about his statement at a later time. I nodded my head as a promise to stay calm.

"You can come in now," he said softly. As I was wondering how anyone could hear him, the door to the study quietly opened. Bella came in with a small smile on her face. I know my face lit up at the sight of her. We were kindred spirits, considering we were both literature nerds. I glanced quickly at Edward, who was looking at Bella disapprovingly.

"Hi, Catherine," Bella said, her sweet voice ringing in my ears with an unfamiliar clarity. "It's nice to see you again, though I wish it were in better circumstances."

"It's nice to see you too, Bella. What's wrong with the circumstances?" As I studied her features, I noticed she had the same solemn look to her face as Edward. The fact that it was taking so long for an explanation was driving me crazy. I was trying desperately to stay calm, however, since it was asked of me.

There was movement next to the door, and I turned my head quickly. Jasper and Alice walked through. Jasper looked at me cautiously while Alice danced around the room. God, she was just the strangest person I have ever met.

I noticed in the corner of my eye that Edward chuckled a little. _Can this guy read minds or something?_

Carlisle and Esme followed Alice and Jasper through the door. Esme looked like she was filled to the brim with joy, while Carlisle looked at me like I was a science experiment. He studied every minute gesture and move I made. It was really strange.

When Rosalie walked through the door, I felt a surge of anger run through my chest. It felt hot, like my chest was briefly on fire. I controlled it quickly, not wanting to break my promise. It was getting increasingly hard because of the amount of people in the room coupled with the fact that I wasn't getting any answers.

I wasn't prepared for the feelings I felt as Emmett walked into the room. The familiar feelings of anger and betrayal ran through my veins like lava. I didn't ever want to see him again; I had taken drastic measures to make sure that I didn't. And before I knew it, I was breaking my promise.

"Calm down, Catherine," Edward said with a stern voice. I could barely hear him due to the sound of my fury in my ears. It sounded like an explosion. My entire body felt hot, but the area right over my still heart felt like it was ablaze. It hurt, but in the most beautiful and fitting way.

"Get them out of here," Edward said, pointing to the women. "Control yourself!" he screamed at me.

I heard what he said, but I didn't want to control myself. I let the fire run through my body. I checked my hands to see if the skin was melting off; it felt like it should have been. Everything stayed intact.

Suddenly, my body burst into flames.

The family instinctively recoiled from me. There were yells and screams, but I couldn't hear them over the sound of the flames. The fire ran from my body, and started to catch the room around me on fire. I became very scared. I didn't want to die the way that Christy did.

_Christy_, my mind thought. She would be so mad at me right now. There are people here that I care about and I am putting their lives at risk.

I tried to calm down, but I was too scared. I knew, instinctively, that if I just pulled myself together, then the flames would stop. My emotions, however, were betraying me.

I looked up and saw Edward's and Jasper's horrified faces. Jasper looked at me with deep concentration, but whatever he was doing wasn't working. They were screaming at me to stop and to calm down, but I could do neither.

"Run! I can't stop!" I shouted to them. They turned to the door, but a large flash ran pass them, causing them to pause.

I felt two very large arms wrap themselves around my body. I was shocked as I looked up and saw Emmett's face. The flames surrounded him and I could hear the sizzle of his flesh. The flames did not hurt me, but they were certainly hurting him.

"Emmett, stop! Leave!" I shouted to him.

"No! I'm not leaving you!" he shouted back at me. His face was contorted in agony, but the grip he had around me never waned. My heart swelled with emotion. I took a deep breath and just kept thinking over and over, _I_ _don't want to hurt him. I don't want to hurt him. _

And just as quickly as they started, the flames extinguished. It was like my body was a vacuum and I sucked all the fire that I produced back into my body. The furniture and flooring were charred, but I managed to leave all the books intact.

Emmett let me go, but not before he let out a low and quick hiss of pain. I felt my heart break at the sound.

The four of us stood in the room, staring at each other. All of us were too stunned to speak. I took a deep breath. I couldn't let the question go unsaid.

"What the hell just happened?"

EmPOV

Holy shit, Catherine was like that fire dude from the Fantastic Four. How fucking cool was that?

I was about to voice my opinion when Catherine spoke. "What the hell just happened?"

"I have no idea, but it was… _awesome_!" I said, beaming with pride. My little niece was some crazy fire starter.

Catherine looked at me like I just grew another head. "Are you _insane_? I just caught you and this room on fire. How are you not hurt?"

I waved my hand, a habit I picked up from Catherine. "No worries, Kitty Cat. I'm okay. I mean, it hurt a little. Okay, it hurt a lot. But I'm fine. It'll take a little more than a munchkin on fire to kill me."

Catherine looked at me with hurt in her eyes. "I'm not a munchkin. I'm way taller than Alice. And don't call me Kitty Cat. I hate that name."

"The more you hate a name, the more he calls you it. Trust me," Edward said, rolling his eyes. I smiled. _Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, _I thought over and over. Edward's jaw tightened as well as his fists.

Jasper walked over to Catherine and roughly grabbed her wrists. He dragged her to a couch that was sitting on the east wall and sat her down. Catherine said nothing, allowing him to hold on to her wrists while he sent her waves of calm.

"What are you doing?" she finally asked.

"I'm making sure you don't try to kill my family again," he said with malice and anger in his voice.

Catherine's eyebrows furrowed. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Instead, she stared at the ground. Her face contorted like she was about to cry.

"Come on Jasper, she didn't mean it. No one knew what would happen," I said in Catherine's defense. His grip softened slightly.

"How are you doing that?" Catherine asked, still unable to look him in the eye.

"I'm an empath," Jasper explained, his voice still tinged with anger. "I feel other people's feelings and am able to project feelings onto other people."

"So, basically, a power not as cool as yours," I said, taking a seat next to Catherine. I laughed, but no one joined me.

"A power? What do you mean by that?" Catherine asked.

"Well, I think it's best if Carlisle explains everything to you," Edward said. "Carlisle?" he called out softly.

Carlisle walked in the door cautiously. He closed it behind him. As he walked up to Catherine, his eyes roamed all over her like she was the missing link or something.

"How are you feeling, Catherine?" he asked in a soft, patriarchal voice.

"Why ask me when you can apparently ask Jasper?" she said, her voice playful. She was obviously trying to lessen some of the tension in the room.

Carlisle gave a small laugh before he continued. "I'd much rather hear it from you, if that's alright."

"I feel… overwhelmed. Scared. Super guilty. I feel like I'm the worst person in the world because I almost killed you guys. And I burned your study. I'm really, really sorry. I'm so confused as to what is going on. I have so many questions, yet no one is answering them. I'm hoping you will finally give me the answers that I have craving."

Carlisle cleared his throat and took a deep breath. You'd think he'd be used to giving this news by now.

"Catherine, dear, let me be the first to tell you that we are not angry with you about the fire. It was quite surprising, though. We'll need to be extra careful until you learn how to control your power."

Catherine shook her head violently and Jasper's grip on her wrist tightened. "Calm down," he growled.

Catherine closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. She looked at Jasper apologetically then directed her attention back to Carlisle. "You keep saying power. What am I?"

Carlisle knelt down in front of her and put his hand on her knee. "You, as well as myself and everyone in my family, are a vampire."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Okay, I know I am the worst person in the history of the universe when it comes to updating. If you're still with me, I really appreciate it. This chapter is long, and I hope it doesn't disappoint. I didn't do an Emmett POV in this one, and I may not have it in the next one. I just wanted everyone to see things from Catherine's point of view for a while. It will just make more sense. With that said, enjoy.**

**PS: This is dedicated to LuckyIrish and my buddy Elisa, two awesome readers. **

Chapter 11

CatPOV

"You, as well as myself and everyone in my family, are a vampire."

I stared at Carlisle in disbelief. _Vampire?_ I mulled the idea around in my head. All I could think of was some sort of cheesy dude with a strange accent saying _I vant to suck your blooood_. So I laughed.

The look that Edward, Carlisle, Jasper and Emmett were giving me only succeeded in making me laugh harder. They looked at me as if I were an alien. Then I thought of the movie Alien again and laughed even harder. Now all I could think of was me with a huge, elongated head with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth and lots of drool.

Jasper couldn't contain himself and began to laugh with me. I figured it was due to the empath thing considering I hadn't seen him with any other emotion other than avoid-y or angry since I've met him. Emmett started laughing at Jasper. The room filled with our laughter, effectively defusing the tense environment. Even Carlisle looked slightly amused. Edward, however, did not share our feelings. He just stared at me with a blank look on his face.

When I was finally able to calm down, I moved my finger to the corner of my eye to wipe away the tears I knew would surely be there. However, my face was dry.

"Why am I not crying?" I asked Carlisle. "I always cry when I laugh that much."

The smile that was once on his face completely disappeared. "That's one of the things about being a vampire. You don't cry. Your body is frozen at this state."

I stared at him and could feel the frown on my face. They were serious about this vampire business. I mean, the notion was ridiculous. Then again, I did just wake up after thinking I was dead and burst into flames. So, vampire can't be that big of a stretch.

"Okay," I said.

Carlisle looked at me with his eyebrows furrowed. He turned to Edward and looked at him.

"She really just accepted it. She's not in shock." Edward said plainly.

My gaze shifted between Edward and Carlisle. "What are you guys doing?"

Carlisle met my gaze and answered. "Some vampires, like you, have special gifts. Edward is able to read minds. I was asking him about your state of mind."

"Really?!" I exclaimed, staring at Edward.

"Yes, really," he said, exasperated.

"Okay, what am I thinking about right now?" I pictured a large oak tree riding a bike.

"A tree riding a bike," he said with a small smile on his face. "That has to be a first."

I was absolutely amazed. He could really read minds! "Okay okay, what am I thinking of right now?" I pictured him kissing Bella.

"You're thinking of Bella and me sharing a kiss."

I then had a very brilliant idea. I held the mental image of Bella and Edward, then it slowly started to distort. Bella's hair became blonde then began to shorten. Her body grew taller and more muscular. Her face morphed into that of Jasper's. I was desperately trying not to laugh. I was now picturing Jasper and Edward.

"You disgust me," Edward growled.

"What? What's she thinking about?" Emmett asked impatiently.

I had a huge grin plastered on my face. "Tell them."

"No." If looks could kill, I would be dead, again.

"Come on dude, what's she thinking about?" Jasper asked, unable to stop himself from throwing the feeling of curiosity around the room. Carlisle looked more than just mildly intrigued.

"Say it," I said, my grin growing even wider. "Out loud. Say it."

Edward sighed shaking his head. He looked absolutely mortified. "She's thinking of Jasper and me… sharing a kiss."

Emmett burst into a loud, booming fits of laughter that shook the walls of the room. He clutched the sides of his stomach and dropped to his knees. The sight of him made me giggle.

"Oh, that's just wrong," Jasper muttered, unable to look Edward in the eye.

Outside the door, I could hear the laughter of women. I recognized Bella, Alice, and Esme's tinkling giggles. I was amazed by how well I could hear.

"I can hear them," I said in astonishment.

"Yeah, we can do lots of cool things like that," Emmett said nonchalantly.

"What else can we do?" I asked. Before anyone answered me, I was struck with the oddest sensation. My hands instantly went to my throat due to the uncomfortable burning I felt in the back of it. "Holy crap, what's that?" I asked stupidly.

"You're thirsty." Jasper's hands suddenly gripped my wrists even tighter. I guess he realized they had become a little more relaxed while he was laughing.

If it could, my stomach would have churned. The idea of eating a person, well to be honest, grossed me out. There was just no way. I couldn't kill someone.

"We don't eat people," Edward said, answering my concerns. I did catch his quick eye roll. "We drink the blood of animals. We, as a family, have made the conscience decision to not kill humans. That doesn't mean there haven't been a few slip ups, so we'll keep a close eye on you."

Edward's gaze met Jasper's and Jasper slowly nodded. "Jasper will go with you. Out of all of us, he has the most experience with newborns."

I looked at Jasper and was a little scared. I knew he was upset with me because I was unable to control myself. I didn't want to be alone with him. I couldn't quite put my finger on why I feared him so much. Some instinctual part of me just told me to.

As if he was a mind reader as well, Emmett spoke up. "I'll go with you too. Just in case you get a little rowdy." He broke out in an infectious smile.

I smiled back and him and motioned at the door. "Lead the way."

Running through the woods had to be the most exhilarating experience I have ever had. The trees were whizzing past me, but I could see every detail, down to the newborn leaves, as clear as day. The wind whipped through my hair, making me feel a freedom that I had never felt prior to this moment. If this is what being a vampire is all about, I could get used to this.

Jasper and Emmett stopped in front of me suddenly. I ran past them a few yards, then turned around and trotted back.

"What's up, guys?"

Jasper and Emmett had their heads tilted slightly upwards. I mimicked their movements and inhaled deeply. My nose was assaulted with the most wonderful smell. It was spicy, warm, and made my mouth drool.

"What… is… that?" I asked, my eyes closed slightly in pleasure.

Emmett chuckled and clapped his hand on my back. "And this is only further proof that we're family. That, my dear, is the absolutely appetizing scent of grizzly bear." The statement threw me a little bit, but I wasn't given long to dwell on it.

Without warning, Emmett turned and ran towards the scent. I followed him as we zigzagged through the dense forest. We came upon a rather large cave. It was dark inside, but that didn't bother my new eyes. I could see everything clearly. What I saw clearly was a large, sleeping grizzly bear. It looked rather cute. Its large head was nestled in between his paws. His snoring was loud, causing the stone walls of his home to reverberate. I wanted to pet him, but was a little troubled. Could he hurt me?

Emmett turned to me, holding his finger to his mouth as a cue for me to be silent. "This is the best part," he whispered softly.

I watched him as he tiptoed slowly towards the slumbering bear. He was trying hard not to chuckle, but he couldn't contain his excited smile. Whenever the bear would snort or stir, he would stop his advances and wait for him to settle again. Needless to say, I was incredibly intrigued. What the hell was he doing?

I heard soft footsteps behind me and saw Jasper staring at me intently. I got that fearful feeling again and tried, unsuccessfully, to shake it off. Jasper approached me and stood by my side, choosing now to watch Emmett. His face was cold, but his eyes betrayed his feelings, showing just a touch of amusement.

"This is Emmett's favorite pastime," he whispered.

"Eating?" I asked, smiling softly.

"No," Jasper answered. "Fighting, and then eating."

Before I could question further, I heard an enormous roar. I turned and saw that the bear was awake due to Emmett poking it with his outstretched fingers. He began hooting as the bear stood and tried to swipe him with its enormous paw. As the bear attempted to demolish Emmett, Emmett regarding the bear as if it was trying to play. This only frustrated the bear as its efforts became more and more violent.

I could feel the worry building in my chest. This bear was massive, easily the biggest thing I have ever seen with my own two eyes. "Can it hurt him?" I asked Jasper.

Jasper gave a small chortle. "Don't worry, Catherine. Emmett's fine. It's the bear you should worry about."

As if answering his sentiment, Emmett jumped on the bear's back. The bear roared and struggled to claw at him. Emmett hollered in victory then sank his teeth into the bear's neck.

The bear yelped in surprise and began to thrash even harder. Emmett's grip never slackened, despite the bear's best efforts. Emmett drank until the bear slumped to the ground and gave up the fight. I could hear its heart beginning to slow then eventually stop.

Emmett stood up from the carcass and wiped a smear of blood off his lips. "Well, he didn't fight as much as I normally like, but he was still good."

"You didn't save any for Catherine?" Jasper asked with irritation evident in his voice.

Emmett looked at me with shame in his eye. "Sorry, I got a little carried away."

I laughed. "It's okay. But I really need something fast. My throat is really starting to bother me."

I twitched my head towards the sound of a bunch of… something running. I ran towards the sound with Jasper and Emmett running close behind me. We came upon that consisted of about five adult deer and a few babies. I let my instincts take over and jumped on the back of one of the bucks. The smell wasn't as appetizing as the bear, but it still smelled really good. I imitated Emmett's technique, but decided to quickly kill the buck instead of messing with him. I snapped its neck cleanly and efficiently then bit into its neck.

Warm blood flooded my mouth. It was the most deliciously satisfying feeling of my life. I drank the life out of the poor animal. It's blood splashed my clothes and dribbled down my chin. When I was finished, I looked at Emmett who was beaming with pride.

As I was staring at Emmett, something became so blatantly obvious to me that I couldn't believe I didn't realize it before. The way his features reminded me of Brad, the kinds of feelings I got when I was around him, the statement he made earlier before he ate the bear, even the way he was looking at me right now. How could I have been so blind?

"How old are you, Emmett?"

"I'm 20," he said, obviously sidestepping the question.

I sighed then rolled my eyes. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

He laughed and said, "Would you believe me if I said I was about older than your grandfather?"

"You know, you look a lot like my grandfather." I paused momentarily allowing myself to shake off the feeling that I was completely nuts for asking this next question. "Emmett, are we family?" My gaze was incredibly scrutinizing and I could practically see the wheels in Emmett's head turning as he thought how to best phrase his next sentence.

"We are family, Catherine. I mean honest-to-God family." His eyes were nostalgic and slightly sad. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before, but seriously, how would you react to some stranger coming up to you and saying 'Hey! I'm your great times three uncle'?"

I laughed. "You're right. That would have been the craziest thing I ever heard. Lucky for you, I've already heard a ton of other things that are far crazier than that today."

Emmett and I had tons of fun hunting. Jasper was never far behind, but he chose to spend his time keeping a close eye on me rather than sharing in the fun. Apparently I took to it really well. Emmett said it was to be expected considering I had McCarty genes.

When we reached the house, Carlisle and Edward were outside waiting for us.

"How did everything go?" Edward asked.

Awesome, I thought. Though, Emmett didn't share his bear.

Edward snickered. "No, he usually doesn't."

I laughed and threw my arm around Emmett. He looked at me confused. "What are you two talking about?"

"You're poor sharing habits," I said with a grin. He laughed and pulled me into his side. Before I could say "jerk face" he grabbed me into a head lock and noogied my head.

"Quit it!" I screeched. A playful wrestling match quickly ensued. I found out while hunting that vampires have super strength, newborns even more so. It took a little strategy, but I was able to pin Emmett.

"One, two, three!" I screamed while tapping the ground. I stood up and raised my arms in victory. "Ding, ding, ding! I AM THE WINNER!!" I ran circles around Emmett, taunting him while doing so.

Emmett stayed on the ground and was pretending to be out of breath. "You're killing me, youngster!"

I laughed and lightly kicked him in the side. "Get up weenie!"

Emmett took advantage of my playfulness and swiped my legs out from under me. I landed on the ground flat on my back, creating a sound similar to a soft thunderclap.

I was about to get up, but the clouds caught my attention. I immediately began to think of home. In Texas, Brad and I would sometimes spend a lazy afternoon on the deck looking at the clouds. It was nice. We had a nice little set up with a couple of wicker chairs and a small table that usually carried a huge pitcher of sweet tea and a couple of glasses. It was a nice memory that I began to get lost in. I vaguely heard Edward talking to the others.

"She has amazing memory recall. I've never seen anything like it. Usually newborns have to work to remember their human lives, but she is able to recall them quickly and clearly."

I sat up and saw Edward and Carlisle deep in conversation. Emmett towered over me and held out his hand in order to help me up. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me up.

"Do vampires not normally remember their human lives?" I asked Emmett.

He shook his head. "Not very well, you're lucky."

"That's terrible," I said with sincerity. "I'm sorry."

"No big deal," he said with a forced grin. "Actually, I've been remembering a lot more since you came around. You remind me a lot of the women I grew up with."

"Will you tell me about them sometime?"

"Sure, Kitty Cat." Emmett's grin was now more genuine having said my hated nickname.

I rolled my eyes and punched him in the arm. He winced and rubbed the spot that I hit. We started to head towards the house when Jasper stood in front of me. I can't lie and say that I wasn't irritated.

"Are you gonna make me sleep outside?" I asked sarcastically.

"Keep up with that tone and I will." Jasper's eyes darkened slightly, a clear signal to me of his anger.

Emmett growled next to me. I turned to him in surprise and saw that his eyes were much darker than Jasper's. "Leave her alone," he spat through clenched teeth.

Edward and Carlisle stopped their conversation and turned to look at us. The staring match between Jasper and Emmett seemed to last for an eternity. I instantly regretted what I said to Jasper. I knew he was just trying to protect his family.

"It's okay, Emmett. Calm down," I said in the most soothing voice I could muster. I placed my hand lightly on his arm. It always seemed to work on Brad when he had gotten himself worked up over something.

"He shouldn't talk to you like that, Catherine," Emmett said, his eyes not leaving Jasper's

"He's just looking out for everyone. He's looking out for Bella and Esme and Rose." I knew that should snap him out of his anger.

And it worked like a charm. Emmett's posture relaxed a little causing Jasper's to relax as well. Carlisle cleared his throat, garnering all of our attentions.

"Catherine, dear, I know this is an awkward situation for you. However, I will have to ask that you are contained in some of the less… flammable rooms of the house. And until you learn to control the emotions that are so clearly tied to your power, I'm afraid it will have to stay that way."

I nodded. I didn't see it as rude. I wouldn't want a walking match near all my nice stuff either.

Carlisle smiled and motioned for me to come inside. I followed him into the living room of their spacious home. All of the furniture was cleared out, leaving just the granite floors and a couch that smelled just awful.

"What is that smell?" I said, crinkling my nose in disgust.

"It's a fire retardant spray," a small voice answered. I turned around to see Bella coming out of the kitchen. She stopped and stood next to Edward, who had followed Carlisle and I into the house. Emmett had settled on the right side of me, while Jasper, ready to use his power if need be, settled to the left of me.

"The spray should stop you from catching the couch on fire," Bella continued. "We weren't sure how effective it would be. That's why there's only one couch in there for now."

"Bella, I thought I told you to stay with Rose, Esme and Alice," Edward scolded.

"And isolate this poor girl who has no idea what is going on and has no family or friends to help her through this?" Bella glared at Edward with her hand on her hip.

"Hey! I'm family!" Emmett yelled. "And she's not alone. She has us."

"Emmett, she doesn't really know you. And, let's face it; you guys aren't exactly making her feel welcome and secure. Carlisle, you're examining her like she's some kind of science experiment. Jasper, you're treating her like a criminal who is purposely trying to harm us. And Edward," she said, her face rising slightly. "You should be ashamed of yourself! Your patience is thin and your words are sharp. I can't believe she hasn't run away yet!"

The men in the room hung their heads, unable to look Bella in the eye. I couldn't help but smile. I knew I liked this girl from the moment I met her.

"Now, what do you say to Catherine?" she asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Sorry," they all muttered in shameful unison.

"It's okay guys," I said with true sincerity. "This is a rough situation and I know you are doing the best you can. I really do appreciate everything, despite what Bella may be leading you to believe."

"Aww, Bella. Thanks for looking out for my baby niece. GROUP HUG!" Emmett gathered me and Bella is his enormous arms and squeezed and swung us around. We laughed and playfully pounded his back until he put us down.

And for a brief moment, I had no worries. It didn't last long, but I'll never forget the feeling for the rest of my life.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

CatPOV

The rest of the day was spent getting me up to speed about life as a vampire. Carlisle took the time to tell me all about the Volturi and the "rules" that come along with this new life. Edward and Bella had retired to their room a few hours ago, leaving me with Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle. Emmett stayed with me to help me feel more comfortable since Jasper hadn't left my side, fearful that I would lose my temper and ignite. I didn't blame him, but at the same time it hurt my feelings. I hated feeling so weak.

As the sun began to set, I stood up from my new stinky couch and stretched. "Well, once again, thank you so much for everything. I should be heading home now. Chance needs to get fed. I bet he's freaking out right now."

As I turned from the couch, Jasper grabbed my arm. "You're not leaving," he said sternly.

I yanked my arm from his grasp. "The hell I'm not!" I exclaimed. I could feel the familiar heat begin to burn from my chest. My skin began to grow hot, alarming me and the rest of the people in the room. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath, allowing my anger to dissipate. My skin cooled down to its normal temperature.

"Interesting," Carlisle mused. "If you control yourself, you can just create a heat instead of a just a flame."

I didn't have time for his observations. "I'm leaving and there is not a damn thing you can do about it!"

I turned to walk towards the door, but stopped when my arm was grabbed again. This time, the grip was not harsh, but rather mild. I turned my head around and was met with Emmett's sad face. "I'm sorry, Kitty Cat, but Jasper's right. You can't leave. It's not safe for you to be around humans. Not only would you probably eat them, but there's also the possibility you could turn them into a barbecue."

"So you just expect me to stay _here?!_ What about my family? What about Chance? He'll die without me there to take care of him. I don't know anyone else in this city to take him in and care for him!" My body was trembling and the heat poured out of the center of my body. It hurt badly and I pushed the heat down my arms and centralized the feeling in my hands. My hands burst into flames.

Emmett instinctively stepped back from me. I liked it. I liked that he feared me. Maybe now he and the rest of the world would take me seriously.

"Catherine, please I need you to calm down," Carlisle soothed. I refused to listen.

"NO! Not until you swear that I can return to the only life I know. I know it sucks, but it's all I have." My voice was cracking, showing my weakness. I would not let them take advantage of it. I would never be taken advantage of again.

"Catherine, it'll be okay." Emmett took a step towards me, but I backed away. "Just calm down and we can talk about this."

"No, goddammit, no more talking. I want to go _home!_" My entire body burst into a flash fire, then quickly extinguished once I regained control. My hands were still lethal as they were consumed in my bright blue flames. This time I took the step forward while Emmett moved backward.

"We can't do that, Catherine." Jasper's voice became harsh, reminding me of my very worst memories. It was a voice that I used to hear during the tears that were caused by fists and pain. "We can't just unleash you on the unsuspecting population. You _know_ we can't. Now stop acting like this."

Jasper lumbered towards me, his posture imposing. I couldn't help but think of Scott and the posture he took right before he would beat the ever-living shit out of me.

The fear I felt was sobering and my flames quickly snuffed out. My body tensed as I instinctively threw my arms over my head to protect myself. I crouched and lowered my head. I was so _scared_. It's like I was right back in Texas and nothing had changed. I was right back in that same terrifying position. I closed my eyes and let out a small whimper.

I heard large footsteps move away from me. Then petite steps that seemed to float on air moved towards me. I felt a small, gentle hand lie itself on my shoulder. I couldn't suppress the small squeak that came out of my mouth. I kept telling myself to not be afraid, but it just wasn't working.

"It's okay," a smooth, tender voice told me. "He can't hurt you. No one can ever hurt you again."

I looked up, expecting to see Bella or Esme, the mother figure of this family. I was surprised to see Rosalie's bright piercing eyes gazing down at me with sorrow.

"How did you know?" I asked her. She looked down, unable to meet my gaze. "I understand," I said softly.

And I did understand. She had been hurt like me. We were sisters of pain. I instantly knew her hurt just like she instantly knew mine.

I allowed her to pull me to my feet. When I stood completely erect, I softly threw my arms around her shoulders. She mimicked my actions and we stood there for a moment holding each other. We didn't cry; we didn't pity each other or make false promises to each other that one day everything would be okay. We just stood there, sharing our stories and pain mutely. After we broke apart, I didn't feel healed, but I felt better.

"Don't let Jasper scare you, he's a big pussy at heart," Rosalie said with a wry smile. Her expression softened. "We'll take care of you here, but we won't keep you against your will. You'll always be free to make your own choices. I hope, however, that you choose to stay with us."

I smiled and nodded. Right now, my place was here with them. They could never take the place of my dad and Brad, but they would become a family to me. I knew it deep inside, and it made me feel more comforted.

I looked over at Emmett, who was giving me a look full of sympathy and remorse.

"Stop that," I said to him with a tone that was part humor, part seriousness. "I don't need that from you."

Emmett looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry we haven't been treating you so great, Catty. I'm sorry I didn't know about… whoever he is." Emmett looked back up at me with a rage that I never knew could come from such a kindhearted man-child. "I'll kill him. Give me the word Catherine and he will be sorry he ever hurt you."

I smiled, happy to see the protective side of him. "Thank you, Emmett, but he took care of that himself."

He looked at me inquisitively. I gave him a small smile and said, "I think it's time for you to know why I came here."

Carlisle stood to leave, but I stopped him. "No, you should hear too. Everyone should hear." With that, the rest of the Cullen family came into the bare living room. There was so many of them; it felt weird to tell this story to such a large audience.

I sat on the couch while the Cullen family gathered in front. Esme had brought in a few chairs so that people could sit. Rosalie sat on the couch next to me, holding my hand. Emmett took his seat on the other side of my with his arm wrapped protectively around my shoulders.

"This feels like some sick sort of Story Time," I said, letting out an awkward laugh. I was met by a mix of amused and awkward gazes. Bella gave me a reassuring smile which prompted me to start.

I took in a deep breath and began.

EmPOV

Catherine told us her story without pause. Even during the really difficult parts, the parts that involved her friend Christy she did not pause to cry. Not that she can really cry anymore, but you know what I'm saying. The amount of strength and resilience she showed was unparalleled.

When she told us about the fire, I was shocked. Catherine lost so much and lost even more when she moved here to Portland. All she had was that dog, so I can see why she clung so dearly to it. I hadn't told her yet, but Chance was okay. We had a buddy looking over him while she's away.

When she finished her sordid tale, she had her head down and was wringing her fingers. She looked ashamed.

"You shouldn't feel like that. Not even for a second." We all turned to Jasper in surprise. I know my mouth practically fell to the ground. "It's not your fault that a man deceived you, beat you and killed one of the best people in your life. He shouldn't even be referred to as a man."

Catherine met Jasper's intense gaze. I couldn't read her expression, but Jasper could certainly read her emotions.

"Rosalie's right. I _am_ a big pussy at heart," he said with a little smile on his face.

Alice leaned over and gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek. "It's about time you admitted it!"

Jasper leaned forward and grasped Catherine's hands. "I'm deeply, deeply sorry for how I handled this situation. I should have never treated you so badly."

"It's okay," Catherine whispered.

"No, it's not," Jasper said firmly. His gazed hardened slightly. "It's not okay. I will accept your forgiveness, but I will not accept you making excuses for my behavior."

Catherine's face filled with emotion. It must have hit Jasper pretty hard because he manifested an enormous grin on his face.

"Okay, you're forgiven. But if you do it again, I'll kick your ass." Catherine was back to her normal, playful self. I like it when she's like this.

"Speaking of ass-kicking, I think it's time for a rematch, don't you Catherine?" I grabbed her around the waist and carried her outside. She laughed, but it sounded funny because I was bouncing her up and down while running.

As soon as my feet hit the back lawn, I threw her away from me and settled into a crouch. Catherine lithely landed on her feet and mimicked my stance. A low growl came out of her chest and she reminded me more than ever of an angry cat.

She made the first move, running towards me. We wrestled around a little bit then I begged her to show me her boxing moves. She showed me a lot of the basics, and a few little moves she picked up along the way. She said she used to do amateur fights, but quit when she left for college.

We continued to fight with the occasional talking until the sun began to rise. When a ray of sun hit Catherine's outstretched arm, she gasped. I forgot to tell her that we sparkle in the sun.

"Freaky, huh?" I asked her while she stared at her arm in amazement.

"Yeah, really freaky," she said.

I shrugged. "You get used to it."

She looked at me with a soft expression. "You remind me so much of Brad. I miss him so much. Will I get to see him again?" Her voice sounded hopeful, which made what I had to say very hard.

"Catherine, your car was smashed to bits and there was blood everywhere. We set the car on fire to make it look like you burned up. I'm sorry, but they think you're dead."

Catherine's fear contorted in pain. She collapsed to the cry and her body was wracked with sobs. I kneeled next to her and wrapped my arms around her and held her while she cried.

"Catherine, I know I can't take their place. I don't even want to try. But you are the only blood family I have. You're the only McCarty who knows what I have become and I don't want to lose you.

I never really thought of my life before the Cullen's until I met you. It wasn't until you that I realized how much I miss the family I was forced to leave behind. Now that you're here, I get a second chance. I know it's not fair to you. I'm so sorry for that. I was just so selfish; I couldn't watch you die."

Catherine looked up at me, pain still in her eyes. "You were the one that changed me?"

"Yes," I admitted. "I refuse to call it a mistake. I don't want you to, either. Please, please Catherine. Will you be my family?" I was hoping so bad that she would say yes. I wanted to help fix all the bad things in her life. I wanted to be instrumental in giving her the life she deserved, not the one that was forced upon her before her change.

It took a minute for her to answer, but I think she just wanted to stop crying first. "Okay, Emmett. I'll be your family."

I was so ecstatic that I picked her up in a bone-crushing hug and spun her around.

"Put me down or the deal is off!" she screamed, but I chose to ignore her.

"Emmett Cullen, you put her down this instant!" Rosalie yelled. She had stepped outside and was watching us from the porch. I set Catherine down and smoothed her hair.

"Aww, you're fine," I said with a teasing voice.

Catherine punched me in the arm, hard. "Ow! What was that for?"

Before she could answer, Rosalie appeared in a flash behind me and smacked the back of my head. "Ow, dammit! Now what the hell was _that_ for?!"

The girls just giggled, then linked arms and walked inside. I was left outside, dumbfounded and confused.

Jasper met me outside. "Alice told me to come out here and tell you that you're an idiot who deserves to get hit."

I looked at him with my sad face. "Do you think that?"

Jasper shrugged. "As long as we agree that we're idiots, the women will take pity on us. So it's best if you agree too. That is, if you still value your quality time with Rose."

I thought it over and decided that it was much too important to me that I still have relations with Rose. I walked inside, Jasper following close behind.

I found Rose, Catherine, Alice and Bella in the living room. Catherine looked to be focusing hard while Rose and Bella looked between Catherine and the couch eagerly. Alice just had a smug smile on her face.

My curiosity got the best of me. "What are you guys doing?"

"We're trying to get Catherine to test the fireproof spray we out on the couch to see if it works," Bella said nonchalantly.

I could hear Edward scream, "WHAT!?" from their upstairs bedroom. He appeared downstairs in an instant. "What do you girls think you're doing?"

"It'll be fine, Edward," Alice said with confidence. "Emmett," she said directing her attentions towards me, "don't you have something you wish to say to us?"

"Yeah yeah yeah I'm sorry I'm such an idiot," I muttered. I was very intrigued in what Catherine was attempting to do.

Edward starting arguing with Bella and Rosalie about how unsafe this whole thing was while Alice started in on my about my "less than sincere apology." The room quickly filled with our heated conversations.

"Everyone be quiet!" Catherine yelled capturing our attention. The whole room fell silent. "I think I got this," she said.

She squinted her eyes in focus then flicked her right wrist. Her right hand became consumed her in patented blue flame.

"I did it!" she squealed. She walked over to the couch and held out her burning hand. The flame moved away from the couch determining that the spray did in fact work. Catherine flicked her wrist again and the flame vanished.

"So it works by flicking your wrist?" I asked.

"No, that's just flare. I think it looks cool when I do it," she admitted with absolutely no embarrassment. "I can ignite through my emotions then push the flame to where I want it. It's weird and very hard to explain."

I swelled with pride and threw my arm around her. "That's my baby niece."

We moved more furniture into the living room and sprayed it with the spray. It smelled really bad, but you could get used to it. It would do for now until Esme had the time to get in some special furniture.

After we had rearranged the living room to Esme's satisfaction, the seven of us sat down to relax. Carlisle was called in to the hospital for an emergency and Esme was busy decorating a spare room for Catherine. She had to make it a special way so Catherine couldn't catch it on fire. We didn't want to just douse the room in the fire retardant spray.

It was quiet for the briefest of moments. Honestly, it hadn't been quiet all day. Alice and Rose were pretty talkative as is, but Catherine took the cake. She was also pretty good at dragging Jasper and Bella into conversations, two people notorious for being pretty quiet.

"What did you guys do with all my stuff? And what about Chance? You guys didn't leave him to starve, right?" I kept forgetting all day to update Catherine on that dog of hers.

"We had to leave your stuff. It would look bad if you died and then all your stuff disappeared," I said. Catherine winced at the word "died" which promptly made Rosalie smack me.

"Have some tact, Emmett!" she scolded.

"Dogs don't really like vampires so we had a friend come in from out of town to help with Chance," Bella said. I scoffed at the word _friend_. "Be nice, Emmett. He's helped out a lot despite what you may think of him."

"Get real, Bella. The only reason you called him is because you knew he would be good with the dog. Hell, he _is_ a dog!" I laughed at my little joke. I'm pretty sure I was the only one.

Catherine looked slightly disturbed. "Who is this guy?"

"No worries Kitty Cat," I said. "It's Bella's friend, Jacob Black."

**A/N: Reminder that Renesmee is not in my story. Do you maybe, kinda see where I'm going with the Jacob character? Do you like that direction? I didn't initially intend for there to be romance in the story, but the more I fiddle with the idea the more I like it. Let me know. Comments are greatly appreciated!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

CatPOV

I became a little nervous. Emmett seemed to not like this Jacob guy and they left him in charge of Chance. I swear if anything happens to him, I'll kill Jacob, regardless of how Bella feels about him.

I could sense that everyone's relationship with Jacob was complicated, so I didn't press the issue.

"Emmett, what do you mean about Jacob being a 'dog'? Is he some sort of jerk? Should I question y'alls judgment on leaving Chance with him?" I couldn't help but allow the worry slip into my voice.

"Don't worry about him, Catty. He's taking good care of Chance. As for him being a dog, I mean just that. He's a dog." Emmett burst into him booming laughter. Bella looked very irritated.

"You have a dog watching my dog?" I was confused.

Emmett couldn't stop laughing long enough to answer my question, so Bella did. "Jake is a shape shifter from the Quileute tribe back in Washington. He and a few members of his tribe can change into wolves. They are the protectors of the tribe."

"Protectors? Protectors from what?"

Bella sighed. "Protectors from us, vampires. The wolves are the mortal enemies of the vampire."

"What?!" I screeched and leapt up from my spot. Jasper did the same, though he did not take an defensive stance. "If he hates me, what to stop him from hurting Chance?"

Bella gently laid her hand on my arm. The gesture made me slightly calmer. "You don't have to worry about that, Catherine. We may not have the most perfect relationship with the pack, but there's a mutual… respect. As long as we abide by their rules when we are in their territory, then everything will be fine."

"But how can you trust him, Bella? How can you just take him at his word?"

"Jake is a very good friend of mine. He would never do anything to harm me, which guarantees he won't harm any of us." Bella's expression was soft with just a hint of sorrow. I knew not to ask. It looked like there was more to the story than I was being told.

I pondered for a moment before I spoke. "Okay, Bella. If you trust him, then I trust him."

She smiled triumphantly. I didn't miss the glance she threw Edward's way. Edward looked like he had a million words on the tip of his tongue that he was biting back.

_Tell me later?_ I thought.

Edward nodded slightly. I smiled, excited that I was going to get the whole story.

"I'm going hunting," Edward announced, standing from his chair.

"Mind if I join you?" I asked, standing as well.

Edward gave me a smile and nodded.

Emmett stood to some with us, but I pushed him back down. "No stay with Rosalie. You put so much time into me lately. Take this time to be with your wife. I'll be fine with Edward."

Emmett had the briefest moment of hesitation before he scooped Rosalie into his arms and then ran up the stairs. I laughed at the sight then wondered if I should be disturbed.

Alice and Jasper also took the opportunity to spend time together. They walked up the stairs hand in hand at human speed, staring longingly into each others eyes. It was nice to see Jasper with that kind of peace.

I looked over at Edward who was kissing Bella goodbye. She had hunted recently so she didn't need to go with us. _Good_, I thought. _I really want the entire story on Jacob Black_.

"You ready, Betty?" I asked, breaking in to their little moment. I'm not really known for my patience.

They broke apart and looked into each others eyes. "Be nice," Bella said. "Don't scare her away. I can never have too many sisters."

"Oh please, Bella. Do you really think this pretty boy can scare me?" I raised my eyebrows and allowed my Texan accent to pulverize every word in the sentence.

Bella laughed and gave Edward a quick peck on the cheek. When he turned around to meet me at the back door, she playfully smacked his butt.

"Oh, you two," I said rolling my eyes.

Edward gave out a short laugh before arriving at the door.

"Let's go stud," I said jokingly. Edward ran out the door. I followed him, staying close on his heels. He zigzagged through the trees. I laughed as I was easily able to keep up with him. I knew it was only because of my newborn capabilities, so I would enjoy it while it lasted.

We ran a few hundred miles away from home before Edward found what he wanted. A single mountain lion was drinking out of a stream, unaware of our presence.

Edward snarled lightly and took a predatory stance. I hung back to watch. His hunting style was very different form Emmett's. Where Emmett attacked like a bull Edward was more feline in his approach. I found myself being lost in the way he moved.

Edward pounced on the unsuspecting cat and drained him cleanly. Not a drop of blood was wasted. I was in awe.

"Can you teach me how to hunt like that?" I asked when he was finished.

"It just takes practice. You'll learn it by observation." His voice was reminiscent of a government professor I had in Texas that I admired. He would make an excellent teacher.

"Thank you," he said in response to my thoughts.

I was feeling a little thirsty, but I wanted to hear the story first. Edward wasn't having any of that, forcing me to hunt. I was able to find a bear about 30 miles north of where we were. When I was able to pin it down and drink from it, I understood Emmett's enthusiasm towards the creature. It was the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. I attempted to apply the techniques Edward used when eating so I wouldn't get dirty. It helped, but I still stained the front of my shirt.

"You'll get it," Edward encouraged. "It takes time, but you'll eventually get it."

I smiled at his change of nature. He had never really been friendly prior to now.

"And I'm truly sorry about that."

_I like talking to you. You make it easy_, I thought.

He smiled and we sat in comfortable silence for a moment, enjoying the scenery. It wasn't quiet for long. My impatience wore me down.

"Should I worry about this Jacob Black? Be honest with me."

Edward took in a deep breath. "_You_ don't need to worry about him. Jacob is a very… complicated subject matter." His hesitancy irked me.

"How so? Edward, tell me."

Edward paused and looked me over. I don't know what he was thinking about or waiting for. Whatever it was, he was satisfied enough to continue. "Okay, I'll tell you the story. But only if you promise to answer a few of my questions."

He waited until I agreed before he continued. The story that infolded rivaled the soap operas my grandma watches. He started with the events of Bella's birthday that led to Edward leaving her. He talked about how Bella was broken while he was gone and Jacob was there to pick up the pieces. This eventually led to Jacob falling in love with Bella, but his feelings were not returned. He told me about Alice's vision which took him to Volterra. He smiled as he recounted the memory of Bella coming to save him, but scowled when he told me of their meeting with the Volturi. He talked about him and Bella's reconnection and Jacob's anger about it.

"So that's it? That's where it ends?"

"Be patient, Catherine, there's more."

Edward told me about Victoria and the newborns. He talked about the involvement of the wolves in the battle and how the gratitude Bella had towards Jacob will always hang over her head. He ended with the story of their marriage and the pain it brought Jacob. Bella hasn't seen Jacob since the wedding and has spoken with him very little.

"So why did he come back here to help?"

"Because, Catherine, she'll always care about him and the same goes for him. He can't have her the way he wants, but he'll take her any way he can. It kills him, but he can't stop himself."

"Well how do you feel about it?"

"How do you think I feel about it? I absolutely hate it. I hate that she is so connected to him, but it's my fault. If I never left her, she would have never needed him in that capacity. She cares about him and will always need him in her life. I don't like it, but I could never deny her that."

I nodded, having a newfound respect for Edward. But I couldn't also help but feel bad for Jacob. Loves makes people do crazy and stupid things. Unrequited love could make people do insane things. Being around Bella and Edward must bring him unimaginable pain, but he couldn't be able to stop himself from coming if she called.

"Now my question."

I got a little worried. I wasn't sure what he could possibly want to know. "Okay, shoot."

"Why did you… do what you did that day?"

I was momentarily confused. I knew he was talking about the day I ran my car into a tree, but he cold read minds, he should know.

"Your mind was a jumbled mess. I couldn't decipher much of what you were thinking. When you told us about what in Texas, it cleared most of it up. I just don't understand what would drive you to choose suicide as a way out."

I smirked. "Edward Cullen, are you lecturing me on why suicide is never the answer? I don't know if you're the one qualified for this."

"That was different," he explained, frustration painting his features. "Bella is my… life. She's my everything. Without her, there's no point in playing out this ridiculous existence."

I laughed, which angered him. His features furrowed and a growl erupted form his chest.

"I'm sorry," I said, shaking my head and still chuckling lightly. "That's a little overdramatic don't you think?"

Now it was Edward's turn to smirk. "And this coming from the girl who spazzed and ran her car into a tree."

I laughed. He didn't hurt my feelings. What he was saying was true. I got serious as I thought of how to formulate my answer.

"I thought… Emmett was lying to me. He never mentioned Rosalie or having a wife and I thought he was… playing me or something."

Edward cocked his head in curiosity. I could tell he still didn't understand, so I continued. "To me, it felt like I couldn't find a decent person. I went to some of the greatest lengths to make sure I was never hurt like that again. I left my family, my friends, my _entire life_ in Texas in order to get away from the memory of the worst mistake of my life. And when I got here, I completely alienated myself. I never spoke to my neighbors; I never went out to meet new people.

And then Emmett came along. He had Brad's smile and it melted away every brick of this wall that I had built in order to keep everyone out. I didn't understand why I let him so easily. So imagine my surprise when the first person I let into my life since the fire turns outs, in my mind, to be exactly what I've been trying so hard to get away from. I figured I could no longer trust myself to not put myself in that situation again. I was just going to live out my life constantly looking over my shoulder or falling for the wrong guy over and over again. It was sad. Why live that kind of life? So I decided to end it."

I took in a deep breathe and let it out with a shudder. To actually voice these fears out loud was exhausting. I looked at the ground and was kicking around the dirt. I couldn't meet Edward's gaze, which I felt penetrating me. I heard him move towards me and flinched slightly when he put his hand on my shoulder. He didn't pull away.

"I know you don't know us very well, so I don't know how much power this statement will hold. But here, with Emmett, with us, you're safe. No one will hurt you. You may not feel like it yet, but you are our family. We would do anything for our family."

I forced myself to look up. Edward's expression was soft. I smiled and placed my hand over his. "I'm honored to have such wonderful people as my family."

Edward returned my smile then wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug. I laughed and patted him on the back.

"Alright, alright. No need to get all mushy on me," I said with a giggle. "Are you ready to head back?"

Edward nodded. Without word, he took off running towards the direction of the house. I ran next to him.

The run home was quiet. I could tell Edward was mulling my words over in his head and it gave him a serious look on his face. I wanted to cheer him up.

I began humming a little tune. Edward turned to me with an inquisitive look on his face. I began to sing. "I need you to hear. I need you to see that I've had all that I can take and exploding seems like an imminent possibility…"

"Oh how appropriate," Edward laughed.

I continued, wailing loudly and off key, "Toooooo mmmmmeeeeeeee!!!!"

Edward joined me on the next line. "_So pardon me while I buuuuurst… into flaaaames!_"

We began to laugh uncontrollably at the lyric and walked into the house still in stitches. Esme, Carlisle and Bella met us in the family room looking at us like we just walked out of the madhouse.

"What could possibly be so funny?" Esme asked us with her hand on her hip and her head cocked to the side.

Edward and I looked at each other and burst into a new fit of the giggles. By this time, the rest of the Cullens gathered downstairs and stared at us.

"I don't think Eddie's ever laughed that much before," Emmett said incredulously. The rest of the siblings nodded with their mouths open. All except for Alice, who must have had a vision of the occurrence. She just stood there smiling at us.

"It's so dumb. I don't think you guys will find it funny," I squeaked out in between gasps of air.

Edward was finally able to regain his composure. "I'm sorry. Catherine just has a strange sense of humor." Edward was barely able to finish his sentence before his resolve crumbled and he began to laugh again which caused me to laugh some more.

"Oh come on guys! I wanna know!" Emmett whined.

I shook my head and moved to wipe away tears. It still took me by surprise when I couldn't find any. "Seriously, Emmett. It's dumb."

"She's not lying," Alice piped. When Emmett gave her a puppy face, Alice explained the vision she had of us singing in the woods.

Emmett looked at us in amazement. "You guys are ridiculous. I say way funnier stuff than that and Edward never laughs."

"Well maybe you're not as funny as you think," I taunted.

"Oh yeah?" Emmett said, raising his arms and eyebrows. He sprang towards me and we rolled in the living room wrestling. We only stopped when Esme began to beat us with a broom, screaming at us to stop before we broke something.

We stood up, clapping each other on the back. His sunny disposition was so infectious that I couldn't help but feel incredibly happy.

When I fixed my attention to the family, I saw that Carlisle was looking at me expectantly.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I have a theory about your power. Would you care to discuss it?" He sat down on one of the chairs facing my special couch.

"Sure," I said, taking a seat. The rest of the family sat down as well, eager to hear Carlisle's theory. "This can't really be interesting for you guys, can it?" I asked in disbelief.

"Your power is really strange," Edward said, speaking for the family. "There has never really been such a physical power as yours. Most powers vampires possess are mental. To have such an explosive physical manifestation is… unique, to say the least."

I felt a little self-conscious. I didn't want everyone to hear about how big a freak I was. I was about to ask everyone to leave when I remembered what Edward had told me about everyone considering me family. Family knew everything about each other, the good and the bad. I could only accept them as such if I let them in.

"Okay, Carlisle. Shoot."

"Well," he began. "I was first alerted to how different you were when you first met Jasper. He said that he could feel an underlying pain that was always with you. It didn't matter if you were sad, happy, or nervous; you still carried with you an ache. Your pain was such that it was always with you. I felt that this would have something to do with your power.

When Edward mentioned your excellent memory recall, this only solidified my initial theory. You are so haunted by the events that happened in Texas that your vampire mind will not allow you to forget them. The fire, which is the root of all your most painful memories, would have to find a way to follow you into your vampiric life. Thus, the reason you are able to create a flame."

He leaned forward and placed his hand on my own. I had been clenching and unclenching my hands nervously. My body shook lightly as I was trying to compose myself. "Catherine, dear, are you okay?"

I managed to pull my face into the picture of perfection. There was not a shred of evidence of the panic and pain I was feeling written on my face. "That's very interesting Carlisle. Thank you very much." I turned to Esme. "Is my room finished? I think I would like a little time by myself in order to process everything."

Esme smiled warmly. My heart panged as I thought of my mother. I hadn't had one in so long, I had forgotten the way a mother's face could project such love so effortlessly. "Of course. Right this way." She stood up and I followed her. She led me to a room tucked away in the back of the house on the first floor.

When I opened the door to my new sanctuary, I was floored. The room was painted in a pale green. One of the walls was completely covered in books and a rather extensive music collection. There were pictures of Dad and Brad framed and hung on another wall. They must have came in my apartment and taken some. There was a metal framed bed that had a silver bedspread with a delicate pattern running through the fabric. If I had a breath, I would have certainly lost it.

"I took a look at your apartment to get a feel of your personality. Everything except for the books isn't flammable, so you really shouldn't have a problem if you get a little heated." She chuckled a little at her small joke.

"Th--thank you," I stuttered. I ran up to her and wrapped my arms around her. "It's perfect, thank you."

She hugged me back and whispered, "It's not a problem, dear. I was happy to do it."

I was a little overwhelmed by the scenario, but I didn't want to be rude and just kick Esme out. I didn't need to. Like a good mother would, Esme sensed my need to be alone and left. The door closed with a soft _click_.

I turned to the wall with all the media and looked at the music. There were a lot of things that I owned when I was human as well as some new things. Upon closer examination I found a note that was left for me. The handwriting was elegant, the letters drawn out and long.

_Catherine,_

_Your taste in music almost rivals mine. I chose a few additional things to add to your collection. If there is anything else you need, let me know._

_Edward_

_P.S.-- I borrowed your Chopin. I love those nocturnes._

I smiled at the note and browsed through my new collection. I found Wagner's _Tristan und Isolde_ and put it in my new stereo. I scanned through the opera until I found the aria I was looking for. I laid down with my head next to the speaker and listened. There was something about this particular aria that calmed me and allowed me to straighten out the thoughts in my head so I could think.

Today, _Tristan und Isolde_ was just not doing the trick. Emmett told me it might take me a while to adapt to my new vampire brain, which can hold several thoughts at once. So instead of sorting out the thoughts, I decided to drown them out.

I searched again through my collection, hoping I was able to find what I was looking for. My skin began to warm when I couldn't find it. I tried to calm myself down, but my temper was getting the best of me. Right before I exploded into flames, my door opened.

Alice stood in the doorway holding a CD and a pair of headphones. I walked over to her and saw the CD that I was looking for in her hand.

"I saw you burning your new bedroom screaming, 'Where's my Aenema?!' It took me a little while to figure out what it was that you wanted. Imagine my chagrin when I realized it was just a CD." She had a small smile on her face and was waving the CD in front of me.

"Thanks," I muttered as I grabbed it from her. "It's stupid to get so mad over something so small, but I can't help it. My emotions are absurd right now."

Alice smiled. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it." She handed me the headphones. "Take these. Edward won't appreciate you blasting Tool throughout the house."

I thanked her again. She turned around and left, closing the door behind her. I put the CD into my stereo and turned it on. I plugged in my headphones and relaxed as the first track of the CD began to play. I flipped it over to the fifth track and turned up the volume loud enough where it drowned out all my racing thoughts.

Without realizing I was doing it, I was continually turning up the volume little by little. I closed my eyes and let the thrumming guitars do their work. I was humming softly, but I guess it wasn't soft enough. I heard my door swing open.

Edward came stalking towards me and turned down the volume on my stereo. "I don't know how you can listen to this crap," he muttered.

Bella followed in behind him and smacked him on the arm. "Edward! How rude!"

I laughed. "Now I know your weakness, Cullen."

Edward scowled and walked out of my bedroom. Bella threw me an apologetic look and I returned it with a smile.

_I guess I could get used to this_ I thought.

EmPOV

As I lied in bed with Rosalie, I couldn't help but bask in my happiness. Catherine was here to stay, and I liked that. It was nice to have a piece of my old life with me.

She's been with us for about a month now. I dropped my classes at the college so I could spend time with her. It disappointed Carlisle and Esme a little bit, but ultimately they understood why.

Most of the time, Catherine and I spent the time play fighting. My fighting skills had gotten considerably better thanks to the moves Catherine was teaching me. I'm pretty sure I would be able to contend with Jasper now. Her brother had taught her well. My chest swelled with pride as I thought about it.

We also spent time working on her temper control. It took a couple of weeks, but she was finally able to not burst into flames every time I smacked her in the back of the head. I don't know why it pissed her off so much, but it served its purpose.

She was now at the point where she could not only wield the flame over her entire body, but she was also able to concentrate it to one specific area, mainly her hands. It took a little more concentration, but she was eventually able to master just warming her body. This made her the most happy because it was the closest she would be to appearing human.

She was also able to bond with everyone in the family. Whenever Bella came home, Catherine would immediately rush up to her and ask her about her day at school. Bella would recount the day and all her lectures while Catherine would listen intently. They would have numerous debates and discussions over tons of different subjects. When they did this, I usually excused myself to go play video games.

With Edward, she would listen to music and they would have dorky music humor with each other. It was surprising to the family to hear him laugh so much. Even Bella would be surprised. Occasionally, she would join in on the humor, but I don't think she found it as enjoyable as Edward.

Alice, of course, was obsessed with trying to dress her properly. Because she was so stocky to begin with, Catherine was a very muscular vampire. Nothing like me, of course, but definitely buff for a girl. I would tease her and call her "My Little Linebacker." She, in turn, would hit me. I could tell it greatly irritated Catherine to have to bend to Alice's will, but she allowed it.

Carlisle and Catherine had a funny relationship. It wasn't really father/daughter. I think Carlisle understood that fierce love Catherine has for her father and didn't want to make her feel like he was trying to take his place. It was a more teacher/student relationship. Catherine held his opinion in high regard and tried very hard to take all the advice he would give her into consideration. I'm pretty sure he was the reason she was able to learn to control herself so quickly.

I think out of everyone, Catherine liked spending time with Esme the most. Esme reminded her of the mother she lost, and Esme was more than happy to fill that role for her. They would just go off together and have mother-daughter time. I have no idea what it was that they were doing, but it really didn't matter. Catherine would always come back from their time looking extremely happy.

Things between Catherine and Jasper were a little strained. Catherine could sense that Jasper was still a little wary around her. Jasper once confided in me that she is always a little afraid when he's around. Part of him was hurt by that, but the military man in him loved that and did whatever he could to hold on to that.

Rosalie loved Catherine like she was her little sister. They were sisters in pain. They never talked about it as far as I knew. They really didn't need to. It was just a glue, a shared experience that held them together. Catherine needed Rose in her life. I couldn't be more grateful to Rose for how she was treating her. I made sure to thank her in my special way every night.

I was just about to share my gratitude for Rose again when she stopped me. I was about to protest when she hissed.

"Do you hear that?"

I strained my hearing and heard nothing. "No."

Rose looked at me like I was an idiot. "Listen, it sounds like…"

I listened and was able to hear a very soft sob. "Is that Catherine?" I whispered.

Rose nodded and it was all I needed. I jumped out of the bed and dressed with lightening speed. I ran down the stairs and stopped just outside her door.

"Come in, Emmett. I know you aren't going to go away," Catherine said with a touch of irritation in her voice. Well tough shit, I wasn't just about to let her cry in her room by herself.

"What's the matter?" I asked as I closed the door behind me.

Catherine looked at me with glassy eyes. She was holding a picture of Christy in her hands. My heart broke at the sight. "I just miss her so much."

I walked over to her and sat down next to her. I draped my arm over her shoulders and pulled her into me. She was trembling slightly so I kissed the top of her head. "I know, Catherine, I know," I murmured.

She stayed like that for a moment. She was completely silent except for a few strangled breaths. She cleared her throat then asked, "When can I see Chance? I'm pretty sire I won't eat him or anything."

I scrunched my nose and thought of the possibility. "I don't know, Kitty Cat. It's not that we think you're going to eat your dog. We're just worried about getting you around the human population."

"Well, maybe, can that guy Jacob bring him here?" She looked up at me with imploring eyes.

As much as I didn't want him here, I couldn't deny Catherine this. Not only that, but I was really close to her and if I pissed her off, she may burn my arm off.

"Alright. I'll have Bella give him a call tomorrow morning."

She laughed and squeezed me tight. I yelped in pain before she released me.

"You have no idea how happy you have made me," she said with a bright smile.

"Yeah yeah yeah," I said, rolling my eyes.

That morning I had Bella call Jacob at dawn. It made me laugh to hear his grungy sleep voice. He agreed saying he would be there that afternoon when Bella got out of school.

When I told Catherine, she screamed and ran to find Bella. I followed her into Bella's room when Catherine had tackled her and was kissing her all over her face.

"Thank you so much, Bella!" Catherine yelled.

"You're welcome," Bella managed to laugh out. Edward was staring at the pair like he was given an early birthday present.

"Dude, ew," I said. "She's my baby niece."

Edward looked at me with shock then quickly pulled his face into his little Edward mask. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

I growled and chased him out of the room. When I was satisfied that he was far enough from the scene, I pulled Catherine off Bella, who was still hugging her fiercely.

"Alright, let the girl breathe."

"She doesn't need to breathe," Catherine said laughing.

Aw hell, what am I supposed to do with this girl?


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

EmPOV

Catherine was driving me up the fucking wall.

She couldn't settle down for a second. Bella and the rest had left for school only 20 minutes ago and already her nervous energy was getting on my nerves. When she was sitting, she would bounce in her seat. When she was standing, she would start pacing.

Every time I tried to calm her down, she would snarl at me and then swat at me. I tried to get her to fight with me a little bit, but she wasn't having any of it.

"What is the matter with you?" I asked after I attempted to pounce on her and she just shook me off.

"What if he doesn't remember me?" she asked, biting on her nails. "What if he realizes I'm different and wants nothing to do with me?"

I thought about this for a moment. "Well, you do smell different. Maybe you should spray something on yourself so you smell more like you did before."

He eyes lit up. "Best idea ever, Emmett!" I grinned at this.

She looked around for a moment. Like a flash, she was running around the house, searching for something that could help her. After a while, she returned, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"I can't find anything. I never wore perfume or anything like that."

I thought for a moment longer. What did she used to smell like?

"I got it!" I exclaimed. I ran upstairs to Jasper and Alice's room. I dug around in one of Jasper's drawers before I found what I was looking for. I ran back downstairs to Catherine, who was waiting impatiently.

"Well?" she asked. "What's your brilliant idea?"

I held up a pack of cigarettes. Her eyes lit up instantly. "You smelled like cigarettes when I first met you. Also, the smell of them should cover up any weird vamp-y smell you may have. It's worth a shot."

"GENIUS!" she screamed and jumped up to hug me. She grabbed the box out of my hand. "Where did you get these?"

"Jasper's drawer. Sometimes when he's feeling a little nostalgic or grumpy, he likes to enjoy one."

"Can vampires smoke?" She pulled out a cigarette and then began to look around for a lighter. She shook her head and muttered _Duh_ before the held out a finger and ignited a small blue flame on the end of it.

"Of course! I mean, there's no reason to because it doesn't do the same thing for you as it did when you were human. But, it reminds a lot of vampires of their human lives, so some keep the habit."

She took a long inhale and blew it out. "It tastes different," she said with a frown.

Just then, Esme ran into the living room where we were standing. "Catherine McCarty! That better not be a lit cigarette inside my house that I'm seeing!"

"Oops, sorry Esme," Catherine called out while running out the back door. I couldn't help but laugh at the expression on Esme's face.

At that moment, she turned around and growled at me! I didn't even know Esme could growl. I took that as my cue to exit, so I followed Catherine outside.

"Why does it taste different?" Catherine asked as I sat next to her on the porch.

"Well, everything's gonna taste different when you turn. Now you can taste all the chemicals added in. That's why Jasper usually buys that brand instead of Camels or Marlboros. They have fewer chemicals."

She nodded and puffed on the cigarette. She made it a point to blow out the smoke onto her clothes. "I hope this helps," she said.

"Can't hurt." I shrugged my shoulders and leaned back.

We watched the wildlife in front of us go about their day. As an animal would pass, I would explain how they tasted. I've had just about everything, so I consider myself the palate expert of the family. It was able to distract her long enough until evryeone came home. By that time, Catherine had absentmindedly smoked almost the entire pack.

"Hey, are those mine?" Jasper asked, walking up to us.

Catherine pulled out one more for herself then handed the rest of the pack to Jasper. I'm pretty sure there was only one left. "Yeah, Emmett brought them to me to help me smell like my old self again. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to go through so many."

Jasper shrugged. "It's okay. Alice hates that I have them anyway."

Catherine shook her head. "Regardless, I'll order you a new carton tonight. Express shipping."

Jasper gave her a small smile, accepting her terms. He sat down next to us and lit up his own cigarette. We sat around and BS'd for a while. I was extremely happy. This was the first time in the entire time that she's been here that Catherine and Jasper have been in the same vicinity without the atmosphere being tense.

The doorbell rang and Catherine put out her cigarette and ran inside. Jasper was putting his out as well, but as he began to stand, I put my hand on his arm. He looked at me questioningly.

"Thanks," I said.

Jasper looked inside at Catherine then back on me. "I'm trying. She makes me nervous. But for you, I'll try."

We stood up together and I clapped him on the back. We walked inside as a team ready to screw with Jacob. We both respected him, as Bella had said before, but neither of us really liked him. We took every opportunity possible to make his life hell.

As we walked in, the family had gathered in the foyer. Jacob was standing there with Chance sitting by his side. Catherine reached towards Chance, but he pulled back and hid behind Jacob's legs.

The look on Catherine's face was tragic. She quickly replaced it with a look of indifference.

"I'm Catherine," she said, holding out her hand to Jacob. Jacob didn't take it. She let it fall by her side.

"Jacob," he grunted in response. I narrowed my eyes at his rudeness.

"Hey Pup!" I yelled as I lightly punched him in the arm.

"Hey Enormous Bloodsucker!" he said, rubbing his arm. I laughed at his greeting and his pain.

The rest of the family said their greetings and then took off to their rooms. I don't blame them. He doesn't really smell all that pleasant. Bella, Jacob, Catherine, and I went into the living room. Bella, Jacob, and I sat on the couch. Catherine sat on the floor a few feet away from Chance. She never took her eyes off him.

Chance looked tentative, but not aggressive. Catherine adjusted her voice to sounding as close to the one she had when she was human as possible.

"Come here, Chance. Come here boy," she said lightly, patting her lap.

Chance held his nose in her direction and inhaled. He sneezed at the smell and turned away.

"I don't think the cigarette smoke worked." Her face sagged with disappointment.

"I think you're just a little too smoky," Jacob said. Catherine turned to him in surprise.

"You think?"

He nodded and she ran out the front door. I could hear her sprinting laps around the house. When she came back in, she smelled less like smoke and more like the outdoors.

"Better?" she asked Jacob, holding out her hand.

"You want me to smell your hand?" he asked raising his eyebrows.

Catherine scoffed then grabbed Jacob's hand. He tried to flinch away from her touch, but she held firm. She then took their joined hands and held them up to his nose. "Smell me, dammit!"

Jacob took a brief inhale and turned his nose away. "It's better but your hands are disgustingly cold. He won't like that."

Catherine rubbed her hands together. Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment in concentration. I felt the air go a little bit warmer around her. She grabbed Jacob's hand again.

"Is this too warm?"

Jacob looked at her in shock. "How are you doing that?"

She rolled her eyes and tried to keep her annoyance out of her voice. She didn't do a very good job. "I'm a freak. Now tell me, do I feel human or do I need to adjust it?"

"You're fine," he said pulling his hand out of hers. He rubbed his hands together as if trying to get her touch off of him.

Catherine turned her attention back to Chance. She knelt down and spoke soft and low. "It's okay baby. Come here Chance."

Chance looked torn. He obviously recognized Catherine, but he knew there was something different about her. His instincts were telling him to run the other way.

"Please Chance. It's me. You know I won't hurt you." Catherine's voice was breaking as she begged him. She sat down on the ground and held her hand out to the nervous dog. "Please…"

Slowly and cautiously, Chance began to move towards her.

I held my breath, not wanting to ruin the progress. Bella and Jacob did the same watching the moment unfold.

Catherine's face broke out in a small, uneasy smile. She stayed still allowing the dog to sniff her hand. After a few investigative sniffs, Chance nuzzled his head into her hand.

Slowly, Catherine scooted towards the dog, murmuring softly to him. He stayed still as she brought herself up to him. Gradually she wrapped her arms around Chance's scarred shoulders and hugged him.

"That's my good boy. Oh, you smell so good."

"Don't eat him!" Jacob hissed.

"I'm not going to eat him!" Catherine gave him a shocked and hurt look. "He's my baby. He's my best friend. He's the only thing I have to remind me of Christy. I would never, _never_ hurt him!"

"Then what did you mean about him smelling good?"

Catherine looked at him like he was the biggest idiot she had ever laid eyes on. "I mean just that. He smells good. He smells like home."

"Oh," Jacob said sheepishly as he leaned back into the couch.

"Ugh, you think he smells good? He smells just like Jacob, like a big, smelly dog!" I said with repulsion. I couldn't stop myself form scrunching my nose.

"Jacob doesn't smell bad," Catherine said scratching Chance behind the ears.

Bella and I looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you sure you are a vampire with a functional nose?" I asked.

Catherine shot me a dirty look. "Yes."

Chance lied down on the floor and rested his head on Catherine's lap. She began stroking the side of his neck and the rubbing his belly. She scowled.

"He's gotten fatter. Are you feeding him people food?" She looked at Jacob accusingly.

"Just sometimes as a treat. What's the big deal?"

"It hurts his tummy, that's the big deal! And he can't run around as much when he's cooped up in an apartment, so he's liable to gain weight. You are staying in an apartment, right?"

"For the time being, yes. Is that why he's so gassy, because of the people food?"

Catherine laughed. "No, that's just Chance."

And right on cue, we heard Chance fart. It was long and loud. It almost sounded human. If I wasn't so horrified, I may have actually laughed or applauded. But the smell was awful. I pinched my nose and Bella stopped breathing all together.

"Yep, that is Eau de Chance," Catherine said with a French accent. She turned to look at us and laughed at our expressions. "You just get used to it."

"There is no getting used to that!" my voice altered due to my plugged nose. Jacob and Catherine laughed at me.

"I really can't tolerate this. I'm sorry," Bella said standing up. Catherine gave her a hurt look. "No, it's not you. The smell that dog just created was simply unnatural."

Catherine smiled and nodded, effectively dismissing her. Bella ran up the stairs into her and Edward's room.

"Has he been doing okay with you?" Catherine asked Jacob. She wasn't looking at him. All her attention was directed towards Chance. She giggled as he began kicking his leg due to Catherine's tickles.

"We have a good time. He's a really great dog. You raised him well."

"Oh no, that was all Christy. She was the one who trained him."

"Who's Chris…?" I smacked Jacob on the arm. He turned to me and was about to yell at me when I shushed him. I made a motion that looked like I was trying to cut off my head. He got the message though. _Don't ask_.

"I'm gonna take him outside for a little bit." Catherine and Chance pranced to the back door and began to play outside.

"Whew, that was a close one," I said, wiping imaginary sweat off my forehead.

"Wanna explain that?" Jacob asked.

I looked outside to make sure Catherine was fully distracted. When I was satisfied that she was told Jacob the story of what happened to Catherine in Texas. I felt kind of bad telling him, but I'd much rather do it then risk him bringing up bad memories in front of her.

When I was finished, I was surprised to see that Jacob was angry. "Dude, what's the matter?"

He was shaking and fuming. "I just can't believe… that someone, a man that she trusted… would do something like that." He had to take deep breaths in order to control himself.

"Chillax. She's all good now. Can't you tell?" We both looked outside at Catherine. She was absolutely radiant from joy. She had a stick in her hand and threw it. Chance ran after it and was about to pick it up when something else caught his attention. He left the stick forgotten. We could hear Catherine muttered something about him being hopeless.

"I have to leave soon. Sam called me and said that I need to come home and be with the pack." Jacob was looking at the scene in the backyard wistfully.

"How soon?" I was just starting to get used to the guy.

"I guess as soon as I am done here. Now that Chance is back where he belongs, there's not a reason for me to be here."

I was going to offer him to stay a little longer, but decided to leave it alone. Edward would kill me if I were to convince Jacob to stay any longer than absolutely necessary.

"Well, I'm going to go say goodbye. I'm gonna miss that dog. He's really something special." Jacob walked outside and I began to follow him. He ran up to the dog and began to play with him. They were rolling around on the ground together. Catherine's laugh carried throughout the yard.

I began to head towards Catherine when I heard a low and menacing growl. Chance left Jacob and ran in front of Catherine, blocking me from her. His growl continued.

"It's okay, Big Guy," I said, reaching towards him. He barked and snapped at my hand. I pulled it back, not wanting him to hurt his teeth on my hand.

"Chance, quit it!" Catherine told him sternly. He ignored the command and paced in front of her.

"He's always going to be like that. It's only natural for dogs to not trust leeches," Jacob said jogging over to us.

"Well I'm a fucking leech. Explain that, Smart Guy," Catherine spat at him.

Jacob shrugged. "I can't. Maybe he's willing to forego instinct because you guys were so close when you were human. Honestly, when I brought him over, I didn't think the visit would go as well as it had."

Catherine let out a shaky breath. She petted the top of Chance's head. He had stopped growling, but he was still ready to attack me if I took a step in Catherine's direction.

"This isn't going to work. He's not going to be happy here," Catherine said sadly.

"No, it's okay. We can make it work," I said. "I don't want you to be sad. I know you want Chance here."

She met my gaze and gave me a reassuring smile. "No, it's okay. I won't be happy if he's here unhappy."

She turned to Jacob. "Would you like to take him back to Washington? He's really taken to you. I know he'll be happy with you."

Jacob nodded. "Yeah, sure."

They walked inside together with Chance following behind. I walked a good distance behind them. I waited in the living room as they spoke in the foyer.

"Now, only feed him twice a day. No people food. Don't fall for those puppy dog eyes. And he likes it when you scratch him right above his tail." She smiled sadly as she demonstrated where he liked to be scratched.

"I got it," Jacob said rolling his eyes.

"Call me if you have any questions. Or if he's acting funny. Or for any reason at all."

"Sure sure. I got it. Calm down, I have been taking care of him for the past month." Jacob laughed when he saw the scowl Catherine was giving him.

Catherine's voice lost its initial hardness. "Thank you, you know, for doing this. I don't feel like I would be able to trust him with anyone else." She stepped forward and hugged him.

Jacob stiffened at first then hugged her back. "You can come visit him sometime. Just… make sure you call first."

They pulled away. Jacob was giving her a strange look.

"What?" she asked, looking self-conscious.

"It's just… you don't smell all that bad either."

Catherine laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. Jacob rubbed the spot where she hit him. She muttered an apology and helped him rub the sore spot. He looked down at her and smiled at her actions.

I stood at the bottom of the stairs and screamed, "BELLA! JAKE'S LEAVING!"

Bella appeared at the top of the stairs in an instant. "You don't have to yell, Emmett! I can hear you just fine."

"I know, I just like to," I said smiling.

Bella and Jacob said their goodbyes. Catherine walked him out to his car and said one last goodbye to Chance. She nuzzled her nose on the top of his head and kissed his nose. As they drove away, I had never seen Catherine look sadder.

I stood next to her and pulled her into a side hug.

"Thanks, Em. I think I just need a little time by myself." I let go of her and she walked back into the house. She immediately walked into her room and shut the door.

That night I heard very little crying. Mostly Catherine was humming to herself.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

CatPOV

Weeks were passing by. Some days were slow, others went by quickly. But the days were always sad.

I had nothing of my old life except pictures and surprisingly acute memories. I kept telling myself, _this is your new life now_ but it couldn't stop me from daydreaming about working on the ranch with my dad or watching Brad work on my car. Even little things like driving to school or going to the grocery store were something I thought about often. I couldn't go about the mundane routine I had anymore. Who cares about how mundane they were; they were still a part of me.

Emmett tried hard, bless his heart. He did everything he could to try and make the Cullens feel like family and the big mansion feel like home. He even went as far as to buy a horse for me and keep it in the back yard, but Esme wasn't having any of that. I had to admire his determination. He kept finding newer and more creative ways to remind me of Texas or the life I used to have every day. I figured he would have given up by now.

Don't get me wrong, life here is really nice. I get along with everyone, even Jasper. Like any family, I fight with them. But there is always a lingering feeling. I feel like an outsider, an intruder _always_. The worst is at night, when everyone retires to their room with their mate. I usually spend that time with my headphones secure over my ears or just out of the house in general.

Last night I left and came back to the house just before dawn. I was grumpy because I couldn't find the kind of meal that I really wanted (grizzly… what else is there, really?) and I also tore my favorite pair of jeans. They weren't ruined; they were just a little grungier.

I came home and slipped in before I could run into anyone. I went into my bedroom, closed the door and proceeded to undress. I hopped into the shower and stood there for a while allowing the water to roll down my body. I'll always maintain that I do my best thinking in the shower.

I came out of my bathroom in a robe with a towel wrapped on top of my head. I walked over to my bed where I left my jeans. Instead of there being my favorite pair of jeans, there was a pair of form-fitting black slacks and a pink button up shirt.

"Alice…" I growled. I searched through all of my drawers and my closet to find my beloved pair of jeans. They were nowhere to be found. I threw on some Juicy Sweatpants, because that was the only thing acceptable according to Alice, and a green t-shirt. I roughly grabbed the clothes that were laid out for me and stormed out of my bedroom.

Edward, Bella, Jasper, Alice and Emmett were gathered in the living room waiting to leave for school. They were chatting softly and giggling at some jokes that Emmett was telling them. I found my target in the middle of their little powwow.

"Alice, what did you do with my jeans?" I asked unable to stop myself from getting angry. My skin was already starting to warm and venom was pooling in my mouth.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," she said with large innocent eyes.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about," I said, raising my voice slightly. My skin was now at a boiling point and I knew it would only take a little bit more anger before I full on burst into flames. I took the clothes that I had in my hand and threw them at her. "I certainly didn't pick these out. Now, for the last time, where are my jeans?"

Alice just shrugged indifferently. "I have no idea what happened to your ugly, ripped jeans. And you should thank whoever picked out those clothes. Not only are they more flattering to your body type, but they are also in one piece."

I was getting furious. With a stern and forceful voice, I said, "Alice, I have sat by and let you boss me around when it came to clothes thus far. But, I am _not_ going to just be your little puppet and bend to your will like everyone else. _Enough_ is _enough_. If you wanna dress someone up, be my guest. Bella does it without fuss, though it's obvious to everyone that she hates it. Now, last time Alice, where are my _fucking jeans_?!"

This time, Alice didn't even bother looking me in the eye. She stood there, picking at her nails. Speaking with a nonchalant voice, she said, "I don't know."

I lost it. In retrospect, there was really no reason for me to. I guess it was the product of all my sadness and isolation that caused me to go temporarily insane. The reason doesn't really matter now because it can't take back what happened next.

I growled at her ferociously and burst into my signature blue flames. Everyone instinctively jumped away from me. Venom was streaming out of the sides of my mouth as I continued my feral growl.

Jasper crouched menacingly and dove in front of Alice to protect her. It set off something primal in me and I leapt towards him. Before my fiery body collided with his, Emmett threw himself in between us. Our bodies rolled together and he threw me away from everyone else.

I didn't want to hurt Emmett. That would never be my intention, no matter the situation. So I ignored him and set towards my target, Jasper. Our eyes met and I took a step towards him. Emmett appeared in front of me.

"Catherine, stop, you don't want to do this." He held his hands in front of him to show me that he didn't mean any harm. He voice was soft, but it couldn't pull me from my insatiable drive to hurt someone.

I growled in response and threw him away from me. I heard the sizzle of his skin when it came into contact with me, but I didn't care. I once again found Jasper and continued on my mission. I could hear the screams from my family, but I paid them no mind. Someone needed to hurt as much as I did.

I grabbed Jasper around the neck and threw him down. He skidded away from me and was about to stand, but I was too quick for him. I knelt over her and pummeled my fists into his face. I hit him once, twice, three times. I was going for the fourth when I felt a large hand wrap itself around my wrist and pull.

I blinked and found myself thrown across the room. I landed on my back and slid away from Jasper. I jumped to my feet, prepared to attack again. The sight that met my eyes stopped me in my tracks.

Emmett stood in front of me in an offensive crouch. He was growling loudly and his eyes were wild with anger.

"You will _not_ hurt my _family_," he spoke with a low, frightening voice. It was enough to snap me out of my crazed mental state.

The flames that had consumed me smothered as my shame grew. I straightened my back and looked in the eyes of the people that I had been calling my family for the past few months.

Bella and Edward had mirrored looks of pure shock. Alice was bent over Jasper and looked at me with the saddest expression. Jasper's face went back and forth from agony to anger. I could tell the wounds I had inflicted were already healing. But it was Emmett's face that broke my heart the most.

He looked at me as if he didn't even recognize me. His breathing was labored and he was still tense, ready to kill me if necessary. His fists were tightened and his eyes were black.

"Oh God… what have I done?" I whispered. I turned and ran into my room. I shut the door behind me and began to pack a bag. It had to be small and I threw all the necessities in it: a few changes of clothes and some pictures.

The door opened and Alice walked inside. "Things will be better for you."

I looked at her incredulously. "How could you possibly think that?"

She said nothing, but merely tapped her head. She threw my jeans at me, the ones that started the whole mess.

"You knew?! I could have killed him, your husband! How could you?!" I felt the familiar facial constrictions that came before crying, but the release would never come. There were no tears for the damned. "Why do you always have to meddle?" I groaned.

She smirked at me and I thought I heard something that sounded like, _where have I heard that before?_

"Make sure you say goodbye to Emmett." With that, she turned and walked away. I heard her say, _Leave_, and heard four pairs of footsteps walk out of the house.

I took in a deep breath, took one last look around the room that I had come to call home, and left. Emmett was sitting in the front room. His head was in his hands and his shoulders were shaking. When he heard my approach, his head lifted so that he could look at me. I had never seen such an anguished appearance on his normally carefree face.

"I am so sorry," I said, my voice dripping with sincerity.

"I failed you," Emmett said. He stood up and wrapped his arms around me.

"No, don't say that," I begged as I felt his body shudder around mine.

"I was supposed to keep you safe. I just wanted to be in your life, to be your family. Instead, I'm driving you away." My heart broke with every quivered word he spoke.

"I will see you again, Emmett. This isn't goodbye. It's more like a see you later."

He pulled away from me and looked at my face. He examined every feature as if committing it to memory. I did the same. I would see him again… right?

"Where will you go?"

I shrugged, but I knew full well were I was going. I just couldn't tell him.

"Be careful. Stick to deserted roads. Travel at night so you won't run into as many humans. And for God's sake, Catherine, don't start any forest fires!" A small smile graced his pained face.

"I won't hurt anyone anymore," I said solemnly. I wrapped my arms around his waist and squeezed tightly. Before I lost the nerve, I ran out the front door. I couldn't even to bring myself to look back.

I followed Emmett's advice and for two nights I stuck to back roads and deserted highways. During the day, I would hunt to make sure that I was fully satiated just in case I ran into any humans.

I reached my destination early my third day of traveling. I stopped at the end of the familiar dirt road. I could see the ranch in the distance. I scanned the perimeter to make sure there was no one awake and walking around outside. I estimated that it was about 3:30 in the morning, but I couldn't be too careful. Especially here, at the home I left in Texas.

I ran up the dirt road, unable to contain my excitement. I was finally going to see my father for the first time in almost a year. He wouldn't see me, of course, but I still couldn't stop myself from being happy.

I was hit with the smell of their blood and I held my breath. I stopped in my tracks to make sure the monster inside of me wouldn't rear her ugly head. She didn't, thankfully, but I still held my breath.

I approached his window and peered inside. He was snoring lightly and grunting in his sleep. The clock next to his bed said it was 4:45. _Nice to see I still suck at guessing the time_, I thought.

As I watched him, I noticed that his hair was getting a little grayer and thinner. He still had it long. Normally, I was used to seeing him in a ponytail, but as he slept, it tucked itself neatly behind him. It wasn't frizzy like mine was before the change, but we shared the same waviness. He twitched in his sleep and his breathing became a little uneven as it approached 5:00. His alarm rang, deafening the silence. He groggily rolled over to turn it off then made to get off the bed. I knew Brad would be getting up soon as well, so I ran to his window before he could.

I knew Brad got up about 15 minutes after Dad to allow him time in the bathroom. I stifled a small laugh as I saw Brad lying on his back with his arms thrown out to his side. His comforter was twisted and covered his stomach and thighs. His legs poked out crookedly from underneath. His mouth was open and he was snoring loudly. I smiled at the sight.

At 5:15 his alarm rang and he shot out of bed. His eyes, wild from just waking up, scanned the room. "Who's there?" he slurred.

I knew he couldn't see me, but I still backed away from the window. I could see him breathing erratically. It slowly calmed and he smacked himself in the face. "Get a grip, McCarty. She's not there." He climbed out of bed and added softly, "She's never there."

He headed towards the bathroom, so I walked towards the kitchen window. Dad was already there. I watched as he started breakfast and sipped slowly on his coffee. Brad joined him 15 minutes later dressed and washed.

They grunted their greeting and Brad sat down at the kitchen table. Dad set a plate full of eggs and sausage in front of Brad then sat down with his own plate. They ate in silence for a moment.

"Dad?" Brad said breaking their silence.

"Yes, son?" His tired eyes met Brad's. I could see from my hiding place the bags underneath his eyes made him look ten years older.

"I'm going to visit Catty today. Do you want to come?" Brad looked hopeful.

Dad shook his head and returned his gaze to his food. "No son, you know I don't need to. I see her every night when I sleep. I know she's always with me."

Brad looked crestfallen, but it only lasted for a second. A stoic face replaced his former expression. It made him look different, much different from the funny, boisterous Brad that I know and love.

"Do you mind if I go before chores?"

Dad nodded. It was a final nod that said _discussion over, eat your eggs_. Brad finished his breakfast quickly and headed out the door. I followed behind, trying to remain as stealthy as possible. He jumped into his Civic, the one that looked just like mine but was in a deep blue color. He sped away.

Thankfully, he took the back road that was lined with a small forest of old oak trees. I followed beside him, making sure that I stayed far enough away. He pulled into the tiny cemetery that I knew so well. Our mother was buried there.

When his back was turned, I ran in behind him and hid behind the Chapman mausoleum. He walked to the plot right next to my mothers. There were still pictures and candles on the grave. I choked a little when I saw the bouquet of flowers Brad had in his hands. They were of the lilies that I loved.

"Hey, Kitty Cat," he said as he rested the flowers on top of the headstone. He looked as though he was calm and collected, but the façade crumbled as he ran his hands over my name engraved in the cold granite.

He collapsed and laid himself over where he knew the casket would be buried six feet below him. "Oh, Catherine," he sobbed. "Why? Why, why? Why did you have to leave me?"

I threw my hands over my mouth to stop myself from crying out to him. His pain was crippling and I cursed myself for my ultimate act of selfishness.

"What could I have done to make you stay? I tried so hard." His voice was breaking on every other syllable. I wanted so badly to run away from the sight, but I forced myself to commit the sight to memory. It was a punishment I richly deserved.

His crying carried through the still morning air. After a few minutes, the sobs slowed. He hiccupped and sat up. He rested his head on the headstone and threw his arms around it. He squeezed it as though it were a lifeline. One last sob escaped his lips before his took the back of his large hand and wiped his eyes. He grunted in frustration.

"Crying like a goddamn baby. What would she say if she were to see me?" He kissed the top of the headstone and stood up.

"Enjoy the flowers, baby girl. They'll be the last. Don't be mad, but I can't come here anymore. It kills me to see you like this. I'll be good, don't worry about me. I don't feel you around me like Dad does, but I… I hope you're there. I love you, Kitty Cat."

With his hands clenched into desperate fists at his side, Brad turned and walked away. Before he hopped into his car, he took one last fleeting look at my grave. He elicited a painful gasp and got in the car to drive away.

I couldn't follow him. I couldn't see any more of his pain. I felt like a part of me was dying inside. There was no way I could fix this. Only time could at this point. I just had to give him time. But I made a promise to myself to stop by at least once every six months to check on him. I knew he wasn't prone to stupid decisions like I was, but one could not be too careful. Right now, his wounds were still fresh. I could only hope that next time I see him, he would be doing better.

I squinted as the first of the morning rays hit my eyes. I would have to run deeper into the country to find a decent meal.

After I brought down a few deer, I climbed a tall tree in order to sit and think. I couldn't help but think of my dad's famed "Thinking Stump," a stump of an old pecan tree that he liked to sit on when he would ponder some of his biggest decisions. The memory made me smile.

I leaned against the giant trunk and let my mind wonder. Where to from here? I thought about what Alice had said about my life being better once I left. It sure didn't feel better at this point. Maybe my happiness would come from my next decision.

Where could I go? Certainly not back to the Cullens. Who else do I know?

_Chance_. I could see Chance! He was with Jacob in La Push, Washington. I didn't know exactly where that was, but heading northwest was certainly a start. I know he said to call before I came, but I didn't have a phone. I guess I would just have to drop by unannounced. It was kind of rude, but what harm could it be?

I waited until nightfall to begin my journey. I couldn't let my eagerness to see my best buddy in the world cloud my better judgment. As I waited impatiently for dark, I pictured Chance's whirling tail and excited grunts. Sometimes he sounded more like a pig than a dog. I knew he would be as happy to see me as I am him.

Because I wasn't quite sure of where to go, I made it to La Push late on the third night. I was able to find a rest stop in Washington that gave me the exact location of the small town. I traveled through the thick forests until I began to smell the familiar smell of dog. I have no idea why it smelled so bad to everyone else; to me the smell reminded me of home with the best friend a girl could ask for.

The smell started off faint and I raced towards it. The stronger the smell became, the harder I would run. I was excited and laughing wildly.

A deep, throaty growl stopped my descent. Before I could get closer to the border, and ultimately to Chance, a large black wolf jumped in front of me.

Before I could even think of my reaction, I burst into flames.


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: How much can I apologize to you guys? I'm deeply, deeply sorry for taking so long to post. I'm ashamed of the fact that I had such a hard time with the chapter. Please leave me some feedback, so I know I'm on the right track. I'd appreciate even a simple, "Nice." It doesn't take much to please me.**

Chapter 16

CatPOV

_A deep, throaty growl stopped my descent. Before I could get closer to the border, and ultimately to Chance, a large black wolf jumped in front of me._

_Before I could even think of my reaction, I burst into flames._

I stood there in my fiery inferno wondering what to do next. The large, black creature paced in front of me and howled. I drew a line of fire around me to protect myself. All that time training has now finally come in handy. I learned that I can control the fire like it's a part of me, which allows me to keep it from burning everything in sight.

The large wolf paced in front of me and growled. Any time he took a step in my direction, I would raise the wall of flames. I thought back to what Bella told me about the Quileute's and their wolves. She failed to mention just how big they were. I wonder if they understood human talk. _Well, duh, Catherine. They are humans._

"I'm here for Jacob. He has my dog." I watched the wolf's eyes closely and his actions even closer. I didn't want him to attack me because I couldn't defend myself without hurting him. I wanted to avoid that situation at all costs.

He snorted and growled at me. I was about to repeat myself when I heard the pattering of large feet heading towards us. I turned in the direction of the sound and saw four more massive wolves running towards us. I got a little nervous and my flames grew thicker and taller. The black wolf whimpered and took a few steps back. When the others joined him, they stood behind him and growled fiercely at me. From their posture, I deduced that the black one was the leader.

"Please, I'm really not here to fight. I just want to talk to Jacob." I didn't expect this situation when I headed here, but now I felt so dumb not to. Of course they would try to attack me; that was their role. What kind of protectors would they be if they didn't try to stop the laughing vampire running straight towards their border? I'm such an idiot.

I heard footsteps coming towards us. As I turned to determine their origin, I was met with the sight of a very large, brown wolf. It was almost as big as the black one. He was the only one not growling at me. He gave me the once over then turned to run behind a bush. I heard a sound that reminded me of a thick rubber band snapping back together. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

From behind the bush walked not a large brown wolf, but rather Jacob. He was wearing cutoff sweatpants and was sweating. I could feel his heat even though I was surrounded by my own fire. I smiled warmly at the sight of him and was momentarily distracted by a new warmth that had taken hold of my still heart. Jacob rudely pulled me out of my reverie.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" he yelled, crossing his arms in front of him.

His tone angered me and my flames jumped towards him. I immediately regained control of my feelings and the flames receded slightly. I was still aflame and had a circle of fire around me, though it was not as thick and high as it was earlier.

"You said I could come see Chance anytime I wanted. I kind of left the Cullens in a hurry, so I didn't bring a phone with me. I would have called otherwise."

Jacob uncrossed his arms but his expression was still hard. "If all you wanted to do was see Chance then why did you attack Sam?"

I was shocked. "I didn't attack him!" I shouted.

"Then what's up with the flames? It doesn't necessarily seem friendly."

I looked down at myself. I was so used to seeing myself in this state that I guess I didn't realize how it would seem to an outsider. I looked back at Jacob. "I'm sorry about my reaction. This has been a very rough few weeks for me. I would have been a little friendlier if your buddy here didn't scare the crap out of me."

I looked at the other five wolves that were still growling at me and pacing, trying to find a way around my defenses. "I'll put out the flames if you can promise that they won't attack me. I don't want to hurt them, but I also don't want to get hurt myself."

Jacob looked towards his pack and nodded. One of the wolves barked in protest, but Jacob ignored it. His eyes were solely on the black one. "It's alright. She's okay," he said.

Hesitantly, and still keeping their eyes on me, the wolves backed away from me. When they had backed away enough for my satisfaction, I extinguished my flames. The only evidence left behind was a charred circle around me.

Jacob took a step towards me. The wolves growled in response, but he held up his hand to stop them. His gaze never left me.

"You need to leave," he said with a strained voice. "You can't be here. Your kind is not welcome on the reservation. Go back home where you belong."

I looked at the ground in shame and embarrassment. "I can't go home," I said quietly.

He looked at me inquisitively. "Why not?"

"I just… can't," I said, unwilling to admit to what I had done in front of so many witnesses.

Jacob understood that there was a story I was just not willing to tell yet. He took pity on me when he decided not to press the issue. "Well, you can't stay here. You have to go somewhere else."

"I don't have anywhere to go. The only people in the world who know I am alive are the Cullens and you." I pleaded with him with my eyes. There just had to be a way.

Jacob thought for a moment. "Maybe you can stay in their old house. I don't think it's been sold or anything."

I grimaced a little at the thought, but wiped the look off my face quickly. It would be better than nothing. "Can you show me where it is?"

Jacob nodded and the negative response from his pack was overwhelming. They barked and growled in objection of his decision.

"Well, send Seth with me if it bothers you so much!" Jacob cried in exasperation.

The large black wolf, Sam, howled loudly into the still night air. A few minutes later, a tall sandy-colored wolf appeared. His build was not as thick as some of the others. He trotted happily towards us, panting and allowing his large tongue to hang out of the side of his mouth.

"Catherine this is Seth. Seth, Catherine." Jacob rushed the introduction then disappeared behind a bush.

Seth approached me with no hesitation and barked. He nudged my hand and I scratched behind his ears. A pleasant grumble rose out of his chest and I laughed. I could see why Jacob chose him to come along with us. He was pleasurable to be around, and I needed that at the moment. I don't think I could handle an aggressive wolf following my every movement at the moment.

Jacob walked out from behind the bush in his wolf form. I smiled at the sight of him. He was intimidating because of how big he was, but his eyes were expressive and soft. He didn't radiate with the same kind of happiness as Seth, but it was understandable. I thought back to the story Edward told me about Jacob and Bella and couldn't help but wonder what kind of person he was before his heart was broken. Bella had described him as "endlessly happy" and her own "personal sun," but at the moment, I couldn't really see it. I made a silent vow to myself to use my infamous McCarty charm on him so I could see him smile. I don't know why it suddenly became so important to me, but I didn't dwell on the thought.

Without warning, Jacob took off running. Seth barked at me then took off after him. I took one last glance back at the wolf pack. Their eyes expressed deep suspicion of me. I wanted to convey to them that I meant them no harm. I shot them a small smile, whispered my gratitude. I don't know how effective it was, but I wouldn't consider it a wasted effort. With that, I turned and ran in the direction Jacob and Seth were running.

The woods passed by me in colorful blurs. I kept my attention solely on the two furry figures in front of me. I laughed as they ran playfully, running into each other and turning directions sharply to try and throw me off. I was too fast for them and always caught up quickly.

They slowed their running when the trees began to thin out. They stopped at the edge of the woods and stared at the large, white house in front of them. It reminded me so much of the house they had in Portland. The wolves hung back in the shadows of the trees as I moved towards the house. The morning light was starting to spill from the sky, illuminating the scene in front of me. I studied the lush green lawn, the rocky driveway that led to the storybook house. It bothered me that I couldn't help but feel uneasy. This wasn't home to me, but it would have to do.

I heard the sound of human footsteps behind me. Jacob stopped next to me, eyeing the structure with a mixture of malice and regret. Seth ran up to me with a wide smile on his face. Like his wolf form, he stood tall and thin with long limbs. I couldn't help but return his smile. His youth and happiness made him bright like a solar flare. He was impossible to ignore.

"Hi!" he yelled, throwing his arms around me.

"Whoa, buddy," I said, patting his back hesitantly. "You sure are friendly. How are you sure I don't want to bite you?"

He laughed, pulling away from our embrace. "Vamps never want to bite us. We don't smell good to them."

"You smell just fine to me," I said.

Seth gave me a confused look. He looked at Jacob who just shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you, man. She's just a freak among freaks."

I laughed at Jacob's remark. "Thanks," I said sarcastically.

Several large boxes were sitting on the front porch of the house. I walked towards them and noticed they all had my name on them. There was a large manila envelope lying on one of the boxes. I picked it up, opened it and dumped out its contents. There was a letter accompanied by a cell phone. I read the letter first.

_Catherine,_

_When you get this, make sure you call Emmett. He's worried sick about you and I can't see you when you are around the wolves. I packed a few of your things for you. I foresee you redecorated the house a little. Don't worry; it won't hurt Esme's feelings._

_Alice_

I smiled at Alice's words. I picked up the cell phone and scrolled through the address book. Everyone's number was programmed inside, including Jacob's. Jacob came behind me and began to read the note over my shoulder.

"What's it say?" he asked.

"It's a note from Alice. She just wants to let me know that Emmett misses me and that she sent me some of my stuff."

"That was nice of her," Seth said, joining the conversation. We all just stood around for a bit in an awkward silence.

"So…" Seth said, kicking around the dirt that had settled on the wooden porch.

"Um… can I see Chance?" I asked. "He was the reason I came here."

"Oh, yeah," Jacob said sheepishly. "I had completely forgotten. Seth and I will head back to the reservation. Will you be alright for a little bit?"

I shrugged. "How much trouble can I get into?"

Jacob rolled his eyes at my response. "Just sit tight. I'll be back in a little bit."

With that, the two men ran into the forest. Before he was completely covered by the trees, Seth turned and waved at me. I waved back and smiled at his exuberance.

As I heard their footsteps descend further into the forest, I opened the cell phone and located Emmett's number. I took in a deep breathe before I hit the Send button. I didn't even finish the first ring before I heard the line pick up.

"_Catherine?_" Emmett's voice came through the receiver in a panicked state.

"Hey, buddy. Miss me already?" I tried to laugh but it came out sounding like I choked.

"_Of course I miss you. Are you doing okay? Alice told us about what happened in Texas. You holding up okay?_"

I drew a deep, shaky breath. "Yeah, I'm fine. As fine as one can be when the see how their selfish decisions have shattered the lives of the ones they love."

"_Don't beat yourself up over it, Catherine. It won't help anything."_

I decided to change the subject. "How's everyone?"

"_Oh, they're good. Carlisle and Esme are worried about you. So is Rosalie, but she's confident that you can take care of yourself. Bella and Edward miss you tons, especially Bella. She misses someone to talk to about school. Alice is pretty tight-lipped about your future. It's driving all of us crazy."_

It didn't escape me that he skipped a person in the family. "And Jasper?"

Emmett sighed. _"Jasper is… still angry about the situation. He's expressed the feeling that he's… okay with you not being here."_

My heart panged at the thought, but I knew his feelings were justified. "It's okay, Emmett. He's allowed to feel that way."

"_Aw, screw him. He doesn't know nothin' about nothin'. When are you coming home?"_

That was a topic of conversation I definitely wanted to avoid. "I don't know yet. Alice says there is something out in the world that's waiting for me. I don't know if it's here, but here will do for now."

"_What could possibly be in Forks of all places? The only person you know is Jacob, and he's no fun."_

"Au contraire, I now know Seth. He seems like a nice guy."

"_Oh, yeah! He's a funny kid. He likes vampires! Only us cool kids like vampires."_

I faintly heard the running footsteps of two animals, one large and one small. "Speak of the devil. Jacob is almost here with Chance. I have to go; I promise I'll call again soon. I just need this time, you know?"

"_Well, don't keep me waiting too long. Take care of yourself."_

"I will, I promise. I love you."

"_Love you too, kid. Oh, and Catherine?"_

"Yeah?"

"_Don't let Jasper's feelings keep you from coming back. He'll warm up to you again. He just needs time."_

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind. I'll talk to you soon. Bye."

I hung up the phone and couldn't help but be thankful the conversation was over. I didn't want to lie to Emmett, but I was feeling more and more that I would never go back. Now that I knew of Jasper's feelings, albeit the abridged version, it only solidified the thought.

Chance's loud panting tore me out of my depressing thoughts. I turned to him and immediately an enormous grin broke out on my face.

"Yeah, he has that affect on me too," Jacob said in reference to my smile. "He's really special."

"I know," I said, never taking my gaze off my best friend. He ran towards me in wild abandon, his damaged ears flapping in the wind. I laughed as he attempted to bowl me over.

"Aw, you can't do that anymore, Big Guy. I'm stronger than a brick wall." I laughed as he picked himself off the ground. He trotted over to me and licked the palm of my outstretched hand. I giggled at the sensation.

I knelt down and pressed my nose to the top of his head. I inhaled deeply and immediately felt at home. "Missed you, Chance," I whispered. He grunted in response and wagged his tail happily.

I stood up and looked at Jacob. He was watching me closely. It wasn't a scrutinizing look, but more like he was trying to figure me out.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"You look awful," he said scrunching his nose.

"Really?" I looked myself over. My clothes were torn and the bag that I had been carrying could hardly be considered a bag anymore. I managed to keep my most precious belongings from being damaged, but most everything else was ripped or broken.

"I guess you have a point," I said with a big smile.

Jacob returned the smile, though it was very small. His eyes looked sad, and I felt something inside of me break. I didn't like that he was upset.

"I'm sure you have plenty of things to do. Go ahead and get going. I'll be fine." I looked at Jacob, but it seemed like he was lost in some memories far away from where we were now.

I decided to leave him to his thoughts. Chance wouldn't let him off so easy. He softly placed his wet nose on the back of Jacob's hand. Jacob reacted almost instinctually, petting the top of Chance's head. His eyes lost their glaze and he focused on me.

"Need a hand?" he asked.

I knew that I could easily carry all the boxes as well as Chance and Jacob by myself, but was touched by his offer.

"Of course," I said. I grabbed most of the boxes, leaving Jacob to the rest. I set them down in the living room and took a look around. The layout was slightly different than the house in Portland. Where it had lush white carpet, this house reflected the woodsy atmosphere of Forks. There were only hard wood floors and warm earthy tones throughout the rooms. The back wall was completely made of a thick glass, allowing a little bit of Forks enter into the empty house. There was dust, but that was to be expected. There was also very little furniture. I would spend the next few days cleaning it to my satisfaction as well as ordering things to decorate the home with. I felt silly being one person in the enormous house, but it would just have to do.

I heard Jacob walk in behind me followed by the soft _click click_ of Chance's nails on the floor. He ungracefully dropped the boxes on the ground. He looked around the house. The pain on his face was obvious. He did _not_ want to be there.

"Can you show me where to hunt?" I asked. I knew where, but he didn't have to know that.

"Sure," he muttered.

We walked out the back of the house and reentered the woods. Jacob did not shift into a wolf. He walked at human speed, so I obliged him by doing the same. Chance ran ahead of us, eager to explore his surroundings. It was silent for a while. I didn't want to pry, but once again, my impatience got the better of me.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I asked.

He slowed to a stop. I stopped next to him and gave him a curious look.

"Why did you leave?" he asked with a hoarse voice.

I couldn't look him in the eye. I was so ashamed of the circumstances. I recounted the story, fidgeting while I recalled the fight with Jasper. I could hardly contain the sobs when I told him about Emmett and how I drove him to pick sides. My heart panged when I thought of the look of regret and guilt in his eye when I told him I was leaving.

I turned to walk away, but Jacob's warm hand stopped me. I turned and the heat from his hand spun my emotions out of control. I felt the familiar warmth spread through my body, but I stopped it before it could become a flame. I felt human for the first time in many months. I relished in the feeling when Jacob interrupted my thoughts.

"Don't go. I'm sorry." His eyes reflected his sentiment. He was sorry.

"I'm just embarrassed, that's all. I attacked my family, the only people in the world who love me and accept me for who I am now. And I took that love and spat on it. What kind of person does that make me?"

Jacob smirked. "Just a little damaged." He took me by surprise and wrapped his arms around me. A sudden heat ran through my body and I became even warmer. Jacob jumped away from me.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," I said, apologizing profusely.

Jacob's face was calm, but his shaky voice betrayed him. "No, it's okay. It just took me off guard. How do you do that?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. Just when I woke up, I could turn into a human fire ball. Since then I've learned to control it." I laughed while I continued. "Carlisle has a theory for it all, but it's really uninteresting. You may actually die from boredom if I go into the details."

Jacob broke into a sunny smile. His simple answer threw me into a tailspin.

"Cool."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Read at the bottom for apologies.**

Chapter 17

EmPOV

"Love you too, kid. Oh, and Catherine?_"_

"_Yeah_?"

"Don't let Jasper's feelings keep you from coming back. He'll warm up to you again. He just needs time_."_

"_Alright, I'll keep that in mind. I'll talk to you soon. Bye_."

I hung up the phone the happiest I had been in days. Now that I knew Catherine was safe and okay, I could deal with more important things.

"Jasper!" I yelled at the bottom of the stairs.

Jasper appeared at the top of the stairs in mere moments. "You don't have to shout."

I ignored his statement and continued. "I need you to do whatever necessary in order to get Catherine to come back. I need you to go to Forks and apologize." I crossed my arms and dared him to defy me. I was not happy with him.

"No."

I launched myself towards the top of the stairs. Before I could reach Jasper, Edward stood in front of me and held me back.

"Just fucking apologize!" I screamed, trying to claw past Edward to get to Jasper. Jasper stood there calm and collected. You wouldn't even think his life was in danger at the moment.

I was making a little headway on Edward and I was excited. There was nothing I wanted more than to rip Jasper's head off. I was mere inches from Jasper's neck before something startling occurred.

Rose placed herself next to Edward. She didn't need to try to hold me back. She knew that I would stop whatever foolishness I was doing at the sight of her.

I stood there waiting, imploring with my eyes as to why she would deny me this great satisfaction. I didn't have to wait long for her words.

"Violence already took Catherine from us. I don't need it to take anymore."

Her voice was strong and calm, but her eyes betrayed her. She was hurting badly. I knew she would take it hard when Catherine left, but now she was finally showing the depths of how it hurt her.

My heart wilted at the sight of her. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close to me. She melted into my chest. I hoped she was taking some measure of comfort in my embrace.

She pulled away from me with a sad smile on her face. She walked towards our bedroom and I heard the door shut softly. I would join her shortly, but I had a few choice words for my brother.

"Don't come near me, Jasper. Not now and not for a while."

Jasper nodded curtly then retreated to his room. Edward stayed and looked at me with pity.

"Do you think she'll ever come back?" I asked, fearing the answer.

Edward took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "No, Emmett. I don't think so."

I turned away from his gaze. "I've ruined her life."

"Don't say that." Edward placed his hand on my shoulder reassuringly. "We will see her again, Emmett. Have a little faith in that."

CatPOV

I went upstairs to find a restroom to clean up in. Thanks to Alice, I had towels and new clothes to wear. When I finished and came down the stairs, I expected Jacob to be gone. Instead, he was sprawled out on the living room floor with Chance. Chance was standing over him, panting contently while Jacob was scratching the back of his ears.

"You're still here?" I asked, unable to keep the shock out of my voice.

Jacob looked up at me. He frowned slightly. "You think I would leave?"

I let out a small snort and rolled my eyes. "Well, yes. Why would you stay?"

Jacob shrugged a little and went back to scratching Chance's ears. "Figured you would need a little help in settling in. Plus, any time with this big guy is time well spent." He smiled at Chance, who let out a small bark at Jacob.

Jacob and I spent the day unpacking boxes and looking at furniture online. Thanks to the expansive Cullen account, I was able to go wild when it came to decorating. I only bought things for the rooms that I would use, but I still racked up a large bill. I also spent a lot of money on Chance, buying him expensive food and a ton of toys. He was getting older now, and I wanted him to have everything in the world that a dog could possibly want.

Night came quickly, and I was feeling thirsty. I didn't want to be rude to the only friend I had in Forks, but I figured honesty was the best policy.

"I'm pretty sure if you don't go home soon I may have to make a meal of you," I said, wiggling my eyebrows.

Jacob laughed, the wonderful sound filling up the still home. "Okay, I get the idea. I'll be heading out now."

Jacob turned towards the door and made his way towards it. He paused for a moment and turned back to me. "Stay clear of the Quileute boundary, Catherine."

I smiled. "You don't have to play the tough guy with me, Jacob. I get it."

He shook his head. "No, it's not that. It's just… some of the others are upset that you're here. And well, I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

My throat momentarily constricted with emotion. "You're looking out for me?" I asked, trying to hide the awe in my voice.

A little color filled his cheeks and he looked away from me. "Just be careful, okay."

"Okay," I whispered.

Chance barked at his Jacob's retreating form.

"I'll be back tomorrow, Big Guy," he shouted, not turning back to look at us. He ran out the door and I heard the sound of him changing in the distance. I stood for a while in the room, listening to his footsteps and heartbeat as they faded away.

I had a goofy smile on my face when I looked at Chance. I could feel the corners of my mouth stretching to their limits.

"Wanna go outside?" I asked him. His tail was wagging hard, shaking his butt back and forth. He grunted his approval at the idea.

We went outside and ran together in the woods. Chance wasn't used to me running as fast as him and he was panted hard in his attempts to keep up. I laughed at him and slowed down. He stopped and began sniffing around in his new area. He immediately began marking his territory.

"Don't get into any trouble," I said as I ran off in the direction of some deer. I took down a doe and a buck before I had my fill. When I finished, I found Chance playing in a small creek. I took a seat on a rock and began to talk to him.

"Do you like Jacob, boy?" I asked him. He didn't look up at me, but I saw his tail wag at the mention of Jacob.

"Me, too." I said.

The next day Jacob and Seth came over. They helped me unload some of the furniture that had arrived since I couldn't approach the truck drivers. It was astounding how much money made a difference when it came to getting things done quickly.

After the furniture was unpacked and arranged to my liking, Seth said he had to go home and help his mother with some things. Jacob and I sat outside and watched Chance as he ran around the backyard. I bought him some things to play with and he was more than capable of entertaining himself.

"Emmett told me about what happened to you in Texas. He told me about your friend and how Chance is her dog," Jacob said out of the blue.

I was a little taken aback. "Uh… okay."

Jacob turned to look at me and his eyes were serious. "Just know that we all aren't like that. I would _never_ hurt you like that."

I cocked my head to the side. "Why are you saying this?"

"You just need to know things like that."

I was confused but I let it drop. He must have hit his head on a box or something.

"What are you thinking about?" Jacob asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I'm just confused as to why you said that," I said, carefully studying his face.

Jacob opened his mouth as if to say something, but then shook his head. He stood up and walked inside the house. After a few brief moments, I heard the front door slam.

"What was that all about?" I asked Chance as he trotted towards me.

Chance looked at the front door longingly and let out a soft whimper. He walked towards me with his head down and plopped down next to me. I scratched his head and rubbed his belly in order to soothe him.

"I don't mean to like him as much as I do," I said, fully aware that I was spilling my guts to a dog. "There's just something about him. Maybe he can tell and doesn't want anything to do with me. I don't blame him if he's still in love with Bella. She is perfect in so many ways that I am not."

I was about to continue on my little spill when I realized that Chance was snoring. His paws began to twitch and I figured he was dreaming about chasing something. I left him sprawled out on the wet grass and headed into the woods.

I wasn't planning on hunting, but I decided to do so in case some more movers came tomorrow with the rest of the things I ordered. As I ran, I came across a scent I was not familiar with.

"Vampire," I whispered.

I ran back towards my house as quickly as I could. When I reached it, I saw Jacob standing on my back porch, waiting for me.

"Jacob!" I yelled, running over to him to tell him about the scent that I came across. "I have to tell you something!"

As I approached him, I was stopped by the look of anguish that crossed his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked, grasping his hand. He jerked it away, and I couldn't stop the hurt from pouring out of my chest. I felt my body begin to start the process of warming up at its alarming rate. I tried to stifle it, but was only able to just stop the flames. I was still quite hot.

"This isn't right. It shouldn't be like this," Jacob said, pacing in front of me. "I mean, you're a bloodsucker for Christ's sake!"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, ignoring the fact that he insulted me. All I could think about in that moment was that I wanted his pain to stop.

"THIS!" he yelled, gesturing at myself and him.

My face screwed up in confusion. "I'm still not following…"

Jacob grasped me by the wrists and pulled me closer to him. He face softened as he searched my eyes. "I can't stop how I feel about you. Whenever I hear about your pain, I feel it as if it were my own. That's not right, Catherine!"

I couldn't look at him anymore. He was disgusted with me, and it hurt so badly.

"You see! Right now I'm hurting you, but I guarantee you that knowing it's me causing your pain hurts me much more than it does you."

Beating around the bush doesn't work well for me and I was starting to get a little frustrated. "Just say it, Jacob! What are you trying to say?"

His face broke into one of the most beautiful smiles I had ever seen, and I could feel myself melt. "See, this is what I love about you."

Before I could question him more, Jacob pulled my face to his and kissed me. The entire world stopped then began to spin. The longer the kiss, the faster my world spun. It was the most wonderful thing I had ever experienced. Every memory of Scott and all the fear that I had before completely disappeared as I lost myself in the kiss.

We pulled apart, and I watched as Jacob tried to catch his breathe.

"Whoa," we uttered softly to each other.

We stood staring at each other, smiling.

"That was…" I began.

"Amazing," Jacob finished.

I chuckled and felt my warmth fill my face.

"I love it when you're warm like this," he whispered softly, running his fingers across my cheek.

I smiled wider and leaned into his touch.

"What was it that you were going to tell me?" Jacob asked, breaking our small silence.

I looked into his eyes and became lost. "I don't remember."

**A/N: I am so sorry about the long update. I really appreciate anyone who is still interested in the fic. After this chapter, I think I have 2-3 left. I don't plan on having anymore EmPOV, but if you want it, let me know. Please review. I never set out to write a romance when I started, so I'm hoping it sounds okay. Constructive criticism is appreciated. I promise the rest won't take me so long to write.**


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